Another
by ImaginationGoneWild92
Summary: Rhea doesn't know what she is or what she was made for, she thinks that growing up in Dublin, Ireland and moving to DC was a normal thing people did. But when you're picked up as a baby by Nick Fury on a 'mission', Rhea might find out she was made for something more…..
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hi all, so new Fanfic! Hope you all enjoy. This chapter is the prolog to give back ground and weight to the story coming ahead hopefully! Apologies for the time skips, want to get this chapter done and background set up so I can move on with the story (If you've any questions do mail me!). So enjoy and review! **

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**Chapter one: Prolog **

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July - 1989

The clouds cleared below the jet, there is was. It was the perfect city for this mission. The sun was creeping across the sea to the east sending a rays of light up The river wound that it's way down through the centre dividing it north and South. Ships left the port laden with people and goods. The docklands gave way to a city, it sprawled outwards, growing every day, the economy fuelling the expansion. Bridges cris-crossed the river below and traffic was beginning to pick up as the morning wore on. It was on the edge of Europe, and it was never on anyone's radar. Ireland, a country that had a list of achievements as long as the Nile and yet no one ever suspected it of anything, they retained their neutral status ever since World War II. It was perfect, Nicolas Fury smiled to himself as he felt the jet making it's final approach into a private air field.

The jet touched down and taxied to the end of the run way. Fury saw a small party of people waiting for him. He stood up and put on his black trench coat, a small noise pulled his focus for a second. He looked down at the basket, his expression softened.

"Well kid, you've been through enough already. These folks are gonna look after you," He said gently to the baby in the basket on the seat beside him. He saw her open her eyes, bright blue already. He smiled again. He was doing the right thing for the kid, he reminded himself. He picked up the basket, carefully as to not wake the dozing baby. The pilot had already opened the doors, fresh air greeted Fury as he walked down the steps of the plane to the small group waiting for him. The woman rushed forward, she was in her late fifties, her small frame weighted down by far too much Irish cooking.

"Is this her?" She asked looking up at Fury.

He looked down at the woman and nodded, "Yes ma'am." He held out the basket for her to take.

He saw tears brimming in her eyes, "Séamus, come look at her." She beckoned her husband forward.

The man who was about to Fury's shoulder walked forward and peered into the basket, "Ah god, would you look at that. She looks just like my aunt she does, god rest her soul."

"That she does," She smiled.

Fury coughed, "Well I better be heading back State side."

Séamus looked up at him, "Thank you Mr. Fury, we'll love her with all our hearts."

Fury looked down at the little baby, "I have no doubt sir. And remember I'm just a phone call away." He turned on his heel and walked back to the jet, it was the right thing to do, no matter what SHIELD said, he would not allow a kid to die or to be used. He did the right thing.

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Ten Years Later:

Mary jumped out of her skin and almost dropped the cup she was drying as the front door opened and slammed shut. She heard a bag being dropped and shoes thrown off, hitting the wall in the hallway. Then before Mary could do anything a golden headed missile exploded into the kitchen.

"Rhea Sarah Rogers! You are about as subtle as a flying brick! Slow down!" She turned to the girl. At ten she was already tall, unusually so for their family, bright blue eyes pierced through and her golden hair fell in waves past her shoulders.

"I'm sorry Mum, but they were chasing me again," The ten year old slumped her long frame down on the chair.

"And why were you running?" Séamus came into the room.

Rhea looked up at her Dad, "I'm sorry Dad but at first there was only a few of them, but then more came and no matter what me and Jesse did they wouldn't back off so we split up and ran in different directions." Rhea hung her head, she had been taught never to run, but she didn't want her arm broken again.

"And why were they chasing ye love?" Mary asked, putting a cup of tea down in front of Séamus.

Rhea looked up at them, her hair draped over half her face, "They were calling me names at the start, I told them to stop. And I went to walk away, but then one of the boys tackled me, Jesse tried to help, but they had him too. We managed to punch our way out and then we ran."

Séamus looked over at her, he could tell she was upset with herself, "What were they calling you?"

Rhea gulped, "Lanky, giant, worm, scarecrow…." She trailed off.

Mary went over to her and put her hand on Rhea's shoulder, "Ah now love, you know that there is nothing wrong with who you are."

Rhea looked at her, at ten she was taller then her mother, "It's just hard Mum, being like this, why can't I be like you or Dad?"

Mary rubbed Rhea's back, "Darling what you are is something special, and no matter what people tell you, you are never to forget that understand?"

Rhea sniffed and wiped her hand sternly across her face, "Yeah, I know." She stood up,"I'm going to do my homework." Rhea walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs to her room.

Mary listened for the door to close and then turned to Séamus, "My heart breaks every time she comes home like that. Can we not tell her?"

"No, Mary. You know what Fury said, she can't know, it's too dangerous," Séamus said to his wife, "We just have to help her the best we can."

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Five years later

Rhea opened her eyes, light flooded into her bedroom. She pulled her feet up under the duvet, her long legs stuck out the end of her bed. She rolled over and reached for her phone on the bedside locker and saw a text from her best friend Jesse. They had been friends ever since they were kids, it started when some of her class mates were making fun of her and Jesse stood up for her, and the rest as they say was history. She brought the phone to her and looked at it through sleepy eyes, he wanted to know if she was going to come to his house and then head into the city centre. She groaned and sat up in bed. Her dirty blond hair was in a nest above her head and she wiped the sleep from her eyes. Reaching with her feet she found a pair of jeans and a jumper on the floor and pulled them on, then went on the hunt for a hair brush.

"Damn," She swore to herself when she realised that it was down stairs. She grabbed her jacket and headed down. She heard voices as she made her way down the corridor, and there was a voice she recognised. Rhea opened the door to the kitchen, "Well long time no see!"

Nick Fury, and old friend of her parents looked over at her and smiled, "Well hi to you to kid," He stood up and gave her a hug, then put his hand on her head, "You gotta stop growing. What are you feeding?" He turned to Mary and Séamus.

Rhea grinned, "Yeah, I'm burning through clothes." She looked up at Nick, to others, especially Jesse, he was rather scary. Always dressed in black with an eye patch and his deep American accent, he sort of looked like a high tech pirate, but she didn't tell him that. "Well it's great to see you, but I'm going to Jesse's and then we're going into town. So I'll see you later." She turned on her heel before anyone could say anything and bolted for the door.

It was a short walk to Jesse's house and he was waiting for her by his gate, "Hi Bilbo!" Thea teased.

Jesse fell into step with her and elbowed her in the side, "Leave it out!" Thea laughed.

"So where to?" Jesse asked.

"I have no clue, we are free for the summer!" Thea grinned. They reached the bus stop and waited, chatting about what fourth year in school was going to be like. But something caught Rhea's eye, she stopped hearing Jesse speaking. There was a man, a man standing on the mound across the field. She couldn't look away from him. His longish hair whipped in the wind, he was dressed in some sort of uniform and what caught Rhea's eye was his arm, it was silver and shining in the summer sun light.

"Rhea? Rhea!" Jesse nudged her, "You listening?"

"Hmmm? Yeah? Sorry Jesse, zoned out." Rhea apologised to him, just as the bus pulled up. As Rhea got on to the bus, she looked for the man again, but he was gone.

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Five Years Later

The rain poured down on the grass, jumping off the pathway that led back to the church. People began to walk back to the cars slowly, the black umbrellas dipping as they walked. But Rhea didn't move, she couldn't, it didn't matter to her that she was getting wetter by the second standing in the rain. She looked down at her feet, the earth on the graves was freshly moved and set down. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"You alright kid?" Nick Fury stood behind her.

Rhea sniffed and cleared her throat, "It seems like I was only here with Mum yesterday after Dad died. Now her. I just can't believe they're gone Nick."

"I know kid, me either," Fury said and began to steer her towards a car. Rhea looked up and saw a man about her height standing waiting for them, he was balding and gave Rhea a nod of understanding then opened the door. Rhea ducked her head and got into the black saloon car.

Fury sat in next to her, "Thanks Colson, we'll head back to Rhea's and collect her things." Then he turned to Rhea, "That is, if you're still planning on going to Georgetown?"

Rhea looked over at him, she had gotten an offer to transfer from Trinity College in Dublin to Georgetown in Washington DC, she was so excited to go but the funeral had taken all the excitement out of her, "There's nothing really for me here anyways." She sighed, then looked back out of the window.

Fury nodded and didn't say anything else. He looked over at Rhea, she'd grown into a beautiful and intelligent young woman in the twenty years that he had known her. Nothing seemed to be haunting her from her past, but he wanted to make sure that she was safe, he swore that to her on the jet when he picked her up from the mission in 1989.

Rhea got out of the car and walked up the pathway to her house, the 'for sale' sign on the gate swinging in the wind. She opened the door and the house felt empty, like it was dead inside, all the joy had left it. Her bags were at the foot of the stairs, she reached for them and pulled her green backpack on her back. She took one last look at the place she'd grown up in and been loved in then turned to the door, with out a word and walked back to the black saloon car. Colson helped her put her bags in the trunk of the car then she sat back in next to Nick. She turned to look at him, "So this is it?"

Fury looked over at her, her bright blue eyes full of concern and worry, "Yeah this is it. Look I'm not the one for emotional support," Colson snorted from the front, earning him a glare, but Fury continued, "But I'll be there for you as much as I can. My job is…. well it can get busy and I'll be away a lot, but trust me, you'll be fine. You'll slot into life in DC like you've always been there. Have a little faith."

"Sir," Colson spoke, "Some things is going on at Culver University in Virginia." He sounded concerned. "And it appears that Stark has reappeared."

"Call Romanoff, get her to check it out whats going in in Virginia," Nick said. "I'll head over to see Stark once we have feet on the ground back at DC."

Rhea barely listened to what they were saying then sighed and stared back out the window, Nick's right, she thought, I have to soldier on, that's what Dad always said, and that's what I'm going to do.

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**PS Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed, it's gonna be a bumpy ride for Rhea once she hits the States so follow and you will see where it goes! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: So we are now on to the main story, I have brought the story up to present day (2014) so it has moved forward now another 5 years (Rhea is 25). Bit of another jumpy around the place chapter but had to let people know what Rhea knows or nothing will make sense. Hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you think or what I should do!**

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Chapter 2: Strange Things - Five years later

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Autumn sun light bathed down into a studio apartment in the centre of Georgetown. The haze of the heat of the day was dusting down over the wooden floor of the apartment. Rhea reached up for a glass and turned on the tap in the sink, water flowed in to the glass and Rhea downed the lot, then gathered her long golden hair up and tied it back in a pony tail. She turned and lent back against the counter, she arrived in DC five years ago and a lot had happened since then. She graduated from college and was now doing a masters in psychology. She settled into life in America, making friends and getting to know the city. Nick had given her the studio apartment that was now her home, snug and perfect. Rhea smiled to herself when she remembered when she ditched a day of college and tailed Nick Fury, she was sick of things not quite adding up when he told her about his job. She followed him out to a building on the edge of the Potomac River, she saw it every day on her runs but never knew what it was. She had walked up to the gates but was stopped by guards telling her that she had to be on 'SHIELD business' to enter. She had taken out her phone and rang Nick, she still remembered the conversation. "So SHIELD yeah?" She had said to him when he answered.

"What are you talking about," He had answered.

"Come on Nick, I'm standing at the gates of that big ugly building you just drove into, the storm troopers won't let me in," Rhea sighed and gave a look to the guards that were starting to look a little concerned that she had their boss on the phone. Fury had had her sent up to him and she remembered walking into his office. "So this is really you?"

Nick had turned to her, "You got me kid, yeah this is where I am most of the time."

"So New York? The Avengers?" Rhea questioned.

She remembered Fury tensed slightly, "Yes that was us."

Rhea looked over at him and gave him a cheeky grin, "Knew it." She walked over to his desk, "So Natasha, she isn't really just your work colleague? She's Black Widow."

"Christ kid! How are you getting this," Fury had turned to her in shock, "It took Tony Stark a year to get that one."

Rhea flicked her hair, "I'm not Tony Stark."

"No you are not," Fury smiled to himself then turned his attention back to her, "I'll explain in brief; SHIELD's mission is to protect the Earth against alien attack or other wise, SHIELD stands for 'Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division'."

Rhea rolled her eyes, "Yeah SHIELD is better. But I mean, you guys let Loki run around for a good while last summer."

"Yeah he slipped the net but Thor has him now," Fury said ruefully. "Listen kid, the reason why I didn't tell you was to protect you. I don't want you caught up in this life, you're gonna be a world class psychologist when you finish your degree, and thats the life you should have." He walked over and put his hand on her shoulder.

Rhea looked up at Nick, she had known him all her life, at every turn he had been there even though she was thousands of miles away. But something was stopping her, there was a pang of doubt in the back of her mind, she didn't know why, but it was there. She took a breath, "I understand Nick."

That was two years ago, a lot had happened even since then, and she felt a lump in her throat remembering it, last summer SHIELD had gone rogue, Nick was shot, and they were hunting for Captain America, even Natasha was being hunted, hunted by The Winter Soldier. Rhea had felt like her world had fallen apart again, she felt alone. She had called Tony Stark and with in minutes he was on his way to her house to take her to New York where she would be safe. She remembered Tony being furious that they were hunting Cap.

"Kid if you met this guy! He sticks to the rules like gum on the sidewalk!" Tony paced around the penthouse of Stark Tower. "And this Winter Soldier, I have no idea who he is. JARVIS bring up what ever you can find on the guy."

JARVIS, the super-computer had the command finished in a second, "Here you are sir." Rhea looked up at the files, the amount of assassinations that this guy was linked to over the last fifty years was astounding. She gulped, this guy was after her friends.

The information passed by her eyes then her blood went cold, "JARVIS stop right there." She looked up at the screen, there was something eerily familiar about what she was seeing.

"Eh… something up?" Tony asked her slowly.

"I've….. I've seen him before, that arm," She pointed to the blurry picture of the Winter Soldier, "Back when I was fifteen in Ireland, I remember seeing him, he was watching me."

Tony walked up behind her, "Well Cap can handle this, and Natasha, or Natalia, or Black Widow, or what ever that woman is called is there too and she's tough, trust me." Tony had been right, Cap had defeated the rogue SHIELD or as it emerged very publicly online, Hydra. SHIELD was no more and Nick had to go to Europe to get the heat off his tail.

A knock on the door brought Rhea back to reality with a jump, she put the glass down on the counter and walked over to the door and peered through the spy hole. "Open the door," An irritated voice said to her.

Rhea smiled, "And what do I owe this visit Nat?" Natasha Romanoff walked past her into the house, "Yeah come on in." Rhea sighed and shut the door behind her, she hadn't seen her friend in months and now she just walks in.

Natasha looked around the apartment cautiously and then turned her attention to Rhea, "So how've you been?"

"Eh good thanks," Rhea narrowed her eye brows, "What's with all the tension? I can practically see it radiating off you."

Natasha looked over Rhea, even though she hadn't been trained as an international spy there was just something that Rhea was able to do, she could read people, see their moods almost, it unnerved Natasha, "Oh it's nothing, honestly, just Fury's on to me about a case thats all, finding The Winter Soldier."

Rhea put her phone down, "So everything ok, thought you would have found the guy by now" She teased, Natasha and her had been friends ever since Rhea arrived in DC, there was only a four year age gap between them.

"Yeah every things good, just the guy is rather good at not wanting to be found but its nothing too serious, nothing we can't handle," Natasha said, she was still concerned that Fury had told her about everything, she didn't think that it was something Rhea needed to know about. But it wasn't entirely Fury's fault, Rhea put together the pieces on the News, Bruce Banner making himself The Hulk, Tony Stark creating the Iron Man suit, and the alien-god Thor coming to Earth, and then after the whole Winter Soldier episode she camped out at Starks and well that man had a hard time keeping his mouth shut. Fury did leave out one thing that only Natasha and he knew, and Natasha was worried that Rhea would get the last piece on her own too. "So you going out for a run?" She asked, looking at Rhea in her training gear.

Rhea nodded, "Yeah nothing else to do so may as well. Why? Did you need me?"

Natasha shook her head, "Just wanted to see if you'd come for coffee, but it's fine, you go for your run, I better head back to Stark, he wanted me to decode something."

Rhea changed the song on her iPhone as she ran past the Lincoln Memorial, it was early enough and not many people were out yet. She did spot another guy running on the far side of the lake but he was a good distance away from her. She jogged towards the museums, lost in her own world, lost in the music. "Arrh!" Rhea shouted and tripped over her shoe lace and fell straight on the ground. She sat up and rubbed her arm, "Ow," She mumbled, then looked at her head phones, they had snagged on a tree root and come apart, "Crap," She swore, "No more music." She got to her feet and put her phone back in her pocket, then bent to tie her shoe lace. She stopped, something wasn't right, she felt cornered some how. She slowly rose up to her full height and scanned around. Something caught her eye and there was a gleam of metal. But she couldn't dwell on it for long, she heard foot steps and breathing, it was the guy that was jogging around the lake, she stood up and then saw another guy running full tilt up behind him.

"Don't you say it!" The first guy said.

The other who had dirty blonde hair ran by, "On your left." And grinned.

"Come on!" The first runner said as the blonde sprinted past him.

Rhea snorted with laughter, and picked up a run to catch up with the slower jogger. She found him slumped on the ground against a tree, "You know that isn't the best way to get air back into your lungs." She said to him grinning.

He looked up at her, "Just as long as you don't say 'on your left' and fly by me I'm ok. Sam Wilson." He smiled at her.

"Rhea Rogers," She extended her hand down to pull him up.

He got to his feet, "Oh look who it is, the running man." He said.

Rhea turned around and saw the other runner, the blonde. He was tall, about 6 foot two in height, blue eyes and handsome features, "Thought I'd lost you there." He said grinning at Sam.

Sam rolled his eyes, "I swear I thought you were meant to be in recovery, not kicking my ass out running again!"

"So you two know each other?" Rhea asked.

They both nodded, "Sorry miss," The blonde said and extended his hand, "Steve Rogers." Rhea froze, that was Captain America, she never really knew is name, any time she asked Fury he always diverted the question. But there was no mistaking him, the stamina and his sheer size, he had to be the super soldier.

"I think you gotta fan there Cap," Sam teased.

Rhea shook her head, "Sorry, thinking. Hi," She shook his hand.

"Am I not going to get a name?" Steve asked her.

"That's Rhea," Sam said, "Rhea….. Rogers." He looked over at Rhea.

Steve smiled, "Good name, but then again, I'm biased."

Rhea exhaled, she was over thinking things again in her head, "Yeah, not bad if I say so myself."

"Am I detecting an accent there?" Sam asked her.

"You might be," Rhea grinned and crossed her arms, she loved people trying to guess where she was from, most people never got it.

"Irish," Steve said almost immediately.

"Whoa, nice one, yeah. How did you know?" She asked, slightly taken a back.

Steve smiled, "My parents were both Irish immigrants here, came over from Dublin, so I grew up with that accent. But yours is fading now."

Rhea nodded, "Been here five years, so it's bound to fade."

Sam nodded and looked at his phone, "We better go Steve." He gestured.

Steve nodded, then turned to Rhea, "It was good to meet you, might see you out running again?"

Rhea smiled at them both, "Sure, I'm out here almost every morning." She watched them both walk back to where they'd parked their car. A sudden snap of a twig behind her made her jump, she spun on her heel to see who was there, but no one was there, "Hearing things Rhea, first sign of madness," She sighed to herself.

That night Rhea tossed and turned in bed, she couldn't get comfortable. The room was far too hot even with the window open. As she drifted in and out of broken sleep she remembered something; lying on her back, looking up at people, the room was cold and a light was shining in her eyes.

"Well sir what do you think?"

"She will be perfect. Soldier, come and look." The light in her eyes was darkened by a shadow, all she saw were greeny blue eyes and a mask, and something shimmer in the light.

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**PS Author's Note: Thank you all so much for reading, hope you enjoyed, things are going to get a little strange for Rhea now. ****Thanks and get ready for Chapter 3! :-D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Wow, thanks for all the new followers! I was having complete writers block on where this was going to go, but I think I have it now, so enjoy and review! Thanks! **

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Chapter 3: Coincidence

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Rhea gasped and jumped up in bed, her breathing was ragged and her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest. Those dreams, those people, where had she seem them before. She reached up and held her head in her hands and hunched over. Her head hurt and all she could hear was the pounding of her heart in her ears. _Breathe Rhea, breathe,_ she told herself,_ it's ok it's just a dream. _She began to take deep long breaths and felt herself becoming some what normal again. Rhea looked over at her clock on the bedside table, 5 am. She lay back in her bed, it was times like this she wished that she had a boyfriend to cuddle up to after those nightmares, they were becoming more frequent in the last few weeks, always the same, the bright room, the men and the mask. Rhea tried closing her eyes but then something popped into her head, something that Steve Rogers had said to her the day before on the run, 'My parents were both Irish immigrants here, came over from Dublin, so I grew up with that accent'. Millions of Irish people emigrated to America in the twentieth century and even before, so it stood to reason that Steve would have had native Irish parents. But deep down there was a feeling that Rhea couldn't shake, she grabbed her phone off the bedside locker and opened Google, she typed in 'Steve Rogers; Captain America' into the search bar and waited. Straight away a list of things came up, but what caught her eye was the exhibition they had on him in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. She clicked into it and scrolled through the information, the exhibition opened at 10am. She dropped the phone, how had she never heard about this place before? Once the museum was open Rhea knew where she was headed.

The Metro ride to the Smithsonian wasn't that long, she got off at Archives Metro Station and walked across to Jefferson Drive. The sun was already starting to heat up, it was going to be a another warm day, the news said that it was the hottest September on record, and to Rhea it certainly felt that way. The museum loomed in front of her, it looked more like a fortress than a museum; two large square buildings sat either side of a dark glass facade, only small slits for windows that reminded Rhea of a warped version of a medieval castle. She walked up the stairs and already there was a queue forming to get in to the 'Captain America' exhibition. Rhea joined the queue as it wound its way slowly towards the entrance. After about twenty minutes of waiting Rhea was at the top, _Jeez this guy is popular_, she said to herself. She followed a crowd into the first room. Rhea's eyes went wide as she saw what Steve used to look like, he was tiny, about up to her shoulder when she stood next to the measurements, but when she saw him out running he towered above her. She read about his transformation, testimonies from fellow soldiers and presidents, everyone adored him. Rhea saw a small room off the side, it was a small theatre that was playing interviews and old archive footage, she took a seat and smiled to the kid that was sitting next to her that had Cap's shield on his t-shirt. Rhea watched over the old footage of Steve planning tactical decisions and his team gathered around him. It cut away to a woman called Peggy Carter, they interviewed her in the 50's so well after Steve was frozen. Rhea watched Peggy talk, but the words she was saying didn't reflect what her body language was telling Rhea. Peggy was only talking in facts, telling the interviewer about the events and minimal things about Steve, until the final moment.

"Even after he was gone Steve was still changing my life," Peggy said with a gentle smile on her face. Rhea's heart went out to Peggy, she loved Steve but like other people after the war she had to forge a new path for herself, one she probably didn't plan on. Rhea stood up and walked out to the main exhibition hall. She stopped in her tracks when she looked up at the huge portrait of Steve and his Howling Commandos, their uniforms, bar Steve's, were all on display. Rhea went to walk over but something caught her attention.

"Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes, or Bucky, was the only one of the Howling Commandos to give his life for his country. James was born in Brooklyn in 1917 and from early childhood he and Captain Steve Rogers were firm friends, until the end." The audio recorded message read out as people looked at the picture of Bucky. Rhea walked over to the information about Steve's friend. She looked up at the picture of him, he was the guy she'd noticed in the old video reels from before. He had a handsome face, Rhea had to admit it, and from the videos she'd remembered the cheeky smile that he would give Steve from time to time, like they had an inside joke.

Rhea was about to leave, when someone bumped into her.

"Hey," She said to the guy in a hoody. The guy turned to look at her with dead pan eyes, no emotion. Rhea could make out a stubbled beard that was starting to grow and his hair seemed to be long. She narrowed her eye brows, "Are you ok?" The guy looked at her with some form of shock that she had spoken to him with kindness. Rhea could see that he was on edge, ready to run at any given minute. "Look, its ok. I'm going for a coffee, do you want one?" She offered, opening her hand and keeping a relaxed stance. She watched the guy's shoulders relax slightly. "And if you don't like coffee I can get you water? Tea?" She tried again. Suddenly the guy nodded, Rhea smiled to him and began to walk back out in to the sunshine.

The heat of the day hit her like a train. In all of the years she had spent in DC the hot summers still killed her a little bit inside. She turned to see that the guy was still following her. She spotted a guy with a venting cart, "Hey, two waters please." She smiled at the vendor.

"Too bad girly, all out of waters," The vendor said.

Rhea raised an eye brow, "I can see them right there," She pointed into the cart.

"Well you know," The vendor said, "Its a hot day, lots of people want them."

"Yeah, like me." She was getting impatient.

The vendor looked her up and down, "You're a fit thing aren't you. Tell ya what, you do something for me and I'll give you the waters."

Rhea's eyes opened like saucers, "I'm sorry what now?!"

"You heard me, your a fine piece of something," The vendor gave her a toothy grin, but before Rhea could say anything the guy in the hoody grabbed the vendor by the collar of his shirt.

He slammed the vendor down on the cart, "вы никогда не говорить с женщиной, как, что." He hissed at him, then left him drop to the floor.

Rhea gasped and dodged to the side as the cart fell to the ground. There was one thing that Rhea had learned about America, they aren't overly fond of public displays of aggression, in Dublin it was over looked and the people involved were told to cop on by who ever was round, but not here in DC. Rhea ran froward and grabbed the guy, and pulled him down into the park away from the scene. "Ok firstly, Russian? 'You never talk to a woman like that', I am impressed and flattered. But secondly, what the hell?! The cops will be here!" She looked at the guy. "Wait, you can speak English, because my Russian is a little rusty."

He nodded, "Yeah I can speak English." He said, his voice was strained and sore, like he hadn't used it in a long time.

"Ok good thats a start," Rhea said, "Now what the hell was that?" She pointed back up to where the vendor was.

"He was an asshole," The guy said looking at her with icy blue eyes.

Rhea shook her head, "Go figure, but you didn't have to send him on his ass, I would have been more than happy to do it." She crossed her arms at him.

Suddenly a smile appeared across the guys face, lighting it up.

"What so funny?" She asked looking up at him.

"Nothing, you've got a lot of spirit in you thats all, like someone I used to know," He said trailing off.

Rhea could see that this was going down hill again, "Look, the least I can do for the guy that saved me is to take you to lunch. What do you say?"

The guy looked at her and fidgeted with his left glove, "I better go, the cops might come after that whole incident, but thanks." He smiled quickly and turned on his heel before Rhea could stop him.

"Wait! What's your name?" Rhea called after him, but it was too late.

She sighed and sat down on a park bench and looked at her feet, the excitement was wearing off from the vendor incident. She reached for her phone in her pocket it wasn't there, "Dang it," She swore, then closed her eyes trying to remember where she'd had it last, _In the small theatre in the museum,_ she said to herself.

Rhea pushed her way back into the Air and Space Museum, thankfully the queues where dying down at the entrance to the Captain America exhibition. Rhea walked through the displays and found the little theatre screen again, she looked to where she was sitting and low and behold her phone was there under a seat. _Thank god_, she sighed. She was just about to turn and go when she recognised an outline of a person. She walked over and lent down to the ear of the man, "Hey Cap," She whispered.

Steve jumped in his seat, "Christ!" He turned to look at her, "Rhea, what are you doing here?"

Rhea grinned like a cheshire cat, "Coming to see what all the fuss is about, and I have to say I'm impressed."

Steve stood up, "Come on." Rhea let herself be steered out of the room by him.

"Does no one ever recognise you here?" She asked him as they walked.

"Nope, you're the first, well bar another kid once about six months ago," Steve told her.

Rhea grinned, but then something caught her eye that she hadn't seen earlier, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Rhea? You ok?" Steve asked her.

Rhea walked over to the wall, there were pictures of Steve as a child, and his parents, "Is this you?" She pointed to a small boy.

"Yeah, I was about four there, even though I look about two," He peered at the photo. "What about it?"

Rhea read the caption under the photo, 'Steven with his parents, Sarah and Joseph Rogers, Brooklyn, New York, 1922'. Her heart suddenly dropped, she looked at Steve's father, "Steve, did your Dad have a sister?" She asked.

"Yeah, she stayed in Ireland, died of TB I think," Steve scratched his head, "He had another brother too, I never knew him though."

Rhea's mouth went dry, "We need to talk to Fury, now." She began to walk out of the building and pulled her phone out of her pocket.

"Why?" Steve asked her, trailing in her wake.

"Because," She turned back to Steve, "My full name is Rhea Sarah Rogers, and I was told never to believe in coincidences."

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**PS Author's: Oh what is gonna happen? Well hope you enjoyed, its a little short but there is plenty in there to think about, get ready for chapter 4! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Note: Ok everyone, I'm overwhelmed by the amount of new followers and favourites! Thanks so much! So this chapter is a little short but it packs a punch! So I hope you enjoy! And sorry for the old technical glitch there! **

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Chapter 4: Titan

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Rhea walked straight out of the museum and right across the road, cars skidded to a halt and blared their horns at her. Steve dodged past them to catch up to her, apologising as he went, waving at drivers. He followed her down towards the lakes in the park, where she stopped and was dialling on her phone.

Steve jogged over to her and put his hand on her shoulder, "What the hell was that? You could have gotten yourself killed!" But he was silenced by Rhea putting her hand up to him and pointing to her phone that was up at her ear.

"Fury," She said, Steve could hear the venom in her voice, "We need to talk, you, me and Steve. Where are you? Well then get back to DC." She hung up the phone and then turned to look at Steve.

Steve raised an eye brow to her, "Did you just give an order to the former director of SHIELD?" He asked.

Rhea shrugged, "Yeah **former** director that has a lot of explaining to do." She ran her hand through her hair, "As if today couldn't get any stranger." She said quietly.

Steve picked up on it, "Stranger? What's already happened today that could possibly top what is going on right now?"

Rhea sighed, "Earlier when I was in the museum, this guy bumped me, he looked all panicked and frightened. I offered to get him a drink and then the vendor guy started being all creepy, so the guy that bumped me almost beat the crap " the vendor, he said something in Russian, then when I wanted to thank him he just ran off."

Steve froze, "Russian?"

Rhea crossed her arms, "And that is all you are getting out of my story?"

Steve took Rhea by the shoulders, "What did the Russian speaking guy look like?"

"Ok first, ow, easy on the grip Cap," Rhea wiggled her shoulders, "He was tall, but not as tall as you. Em… he had dark hair, it was long, almost to his shoulders if he took it out of the baseball cap and hoody, he had blue eyes. He was wearing a coat and gloves, even though it's like 100 degrees out today."

Steve gulped, _it couldn't be_, he thought, _why would he come back to DC? _

"Something wrong Steve?" Rhea asked.

"There isn't anything else you can tell me about him?" Steve pushed.

Rhea thought for a second, "When he spoke English he had a perfect American accent, that's it."

"That's because he is American," Steve mumbled.

"Whoa!" Rhea held up her hands, "You know 007?"

Steve grimaced, _when did the kid get super hearing? _He took a breath, "Yes, I do know him."

"From now, or like way back when?" Rhea gestured.

Steve paused, "Look I'll tell you about it later, we need to find Fury first."

"Hang on!" Rhea walked in front of Steve, blocking his way. "We aren't done here."

"Oh yes we are," Steve said, "And we are going to my apartment right now to wait for Fury, don't make me pick you up." He warned her.

"There's no way you can pick me up, I'm too tall," Rhea rolled her eyes, then suddenly she was in the air, "Jaysus Christ Steve! Put me down! I take it back!"

Steve grinned at the sudden Irish out burst, and lowered Rhea to the floor again, "Ok, so we're going."

* * *

Steve opened the door to his apartment and let Rhea in first. Rhea walked in and took a look around, it was pretty much as she imagined it, loads of books, an old record player, vinyl records, she was happy to see that there was a TV and a DVD player, not VHS.

"Can I get you anything?" Steve asked taking off his baseball cap.

"I'm fine thanks," She said, "Nice place, I was expecting it to be like something out of the 40's but it seems you're the only thing in here thats from that decade." She grinned at him and went to look at the books.

Steve rolled his eyes, Rhea always had an answer for everything, he dreaded to see her and Stark in the same room, that would give everyone a headache and probably drive Banner over the edge, "So when did Fury say he'd be here?"

"Well he said he'd be here in three hours, but I said to make it two," Rhea said not turning to Steve, still running her eyes over the book titles. But then she spotted something else, she grinned and bent to pick it up, it was surprisingly light and she slotted it over her arm. "What do ya think?" She turned to Steve.

Steve's eyes went wide, "What are you doing with that?"

"Lighten up Rogers I'm not gonna break it!" She said and moved her arm with the shield in place.

Steve looked at her with it, he had to admit, it did suit her, it seemed to fit just right on her arm, "Hey," He picked up a paper weight and threw it full force at her.

Rhea raised the shield quickly and the paper weight hit the metal and flew off in a different direction, "What the hell was that for?!" Rhea swore at him and lowered the shield.

Steve raised an eyebrow and shrugged, "Just wanted to see what you'd do."

Rhea put the shield back on the ground, "We seem to have found your sense of humour," She sighed and walked past him. Her eyes caught something, it was a picture. "Hey this woman was in the reel I saw, Peggy Carter?" She looked up at Steve.

He nodded, "Yeah that was her when she was, well when we were younger, during the War."

Rhea looked up at Steve, she saw sadness in his eyes, "You loved her, didn't you?"

Steve sighed, "Yeah, and in a away I still do."

Rhea put the picture back down on the table, "Where is she now?"

"She's in a nursing home, I went to see her a couple of times but it got too hard, she has Alzheimer's now," He trailed off.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry Steve, that must be hard," She said to him, "My folks were old, I mean they were in their late fifties when they had me, so at the end they were a little forgetful, my Dad forgot me some days, would mistake me for his sister, even thought I never thought he had one."

Steve put his hand on Rhea's back, "God, I'm really sorry."

Rhea shook her head, "All in the past now, you can't keep looking back or you're gonna run into something in the future."

Steve smiled, _she's strong, _he thought, "Well you wanna watch TV, we got time to kill."

Rhea nodded and asked him what he hadn't seen. She watched as Steve took out a note book, she glanced over his shoulder,"You haven't seen Star Wars?! Blasphemy!" She joked.

A while later the final credits rolled on 'Star Wars: A New Hope', the door bell made Rhea jump in her seat. Steve rose out of the couch beside her and went to answer it.

"Good, you're both here," Nick Fury walked in the door, his black leather trench coat flowed around his feet.

Rhea got to her feet, she saw files in Nick's hand. She gulped, but then steadied herself, _this is what I wanted, _she reminded herself.

"So kid, you have questions." Nick asked her.

Rhea drew herself to her full height, "Yeah and I want straight answers, none of this talking around things anymore Nick." She felt Steve stand behind her, it gave her a little courage, "Why is my middle name Sarah? Steve's mother was called Sarah. Why was my father calling me the wrong name before he died? And why was the Winter Soldier in Ireland ten years ago?" She ran out of things to say, her heart was racing.

Nick took a breath, "Alright, you want answers and I think it's about time you got them, SHIELD was stopping me from telling you but they don't exist anymore, so," He extended out his hand and gave her the files.

"What has SHIELD got to do with Rhea?" Steve asked.

Rhea walked back over to the couch and opened the first file, it was one she'd seen before, the one on the Winter Soldier, all the crimes he was linked too, but then something caught her eye, she stopped, "You knew him," She said, looking up at Steve, "You knew the Winter Soldier, he was your friend, the one that everyone thought died." Steve nodded but didn't say anything. She put the file down on the coffee table and took the other one that Fury had given her. She read the front, 'Operation Titan', she opened the file, her blood went cold. There staring at her was a picture of her as a baby, "That's me," She said quietly. Then turned the page, all the information came flooding at her at once, she felt a tear roll down her cheek, she wiped it away fiercely. She couldn't handle anymore, it was too much. The file dropped out of her hand and landed on the floor.

"Rhea," Steve said, his voice full of concern as he sat down next to her, "What is it?"

Rhea looked at him, his face, his eyes, why hadn't she seen it? Suddenly the sadness was gone and replaced with full blown anger, she rose to her feet, "You. You kept this from me all this time!? You never thought that I should know this?! What I was 'made' for?" She pointed at Fury.

Steve stood up with her and put his hands on her shoulders,"What are you talking about Rhea?"

She turned to him, "You never knew? I shouldn't be surprised. Before you were frozen, they took blood samples to recreate the serum, but what SHIELD didn't plan on was Hydra infiltrating them, right under there noses. In the 80s Hydra decided to create something, something that could be used against SHIELD, to destroy the world order, they wanted you, but of course you were a Cap-cicle at the time. So they got their hands on your DNA and created…. created me Steve, I'm your clone, a cheap knock off of Captain America. But Fury thought it was best not to tell me, to keep it a secret. That's why all throughout my childhood I was bullied for being different, I could do things that others couldn't, I have a photographic memory, I can read body language, run faster then anyone I grew up with and I was taller than all of my family. Because even though Rogers is my last name, I'm just an attempt at a new Captain America, a failed attempt." She stopped.

Steve looked at Nick in horror, this girl had been alive for the last twenty five years and Nick didn't make one attempt to help her or give her an explanation.

"Kid, I'm sorry, I thought it was best for you," Fury said.

Rhea narrowed her eyes, "Best for me?! You think that this is what I wanted?" She stopped and then a thought hit her, "The Winter Soldier, he was there, he was there for me, when I was a kid, I saw him across a field."

Fury nodded, "That's why I was there that week, I heard that Hydra had located you."

Rhea shook her head, she had to get out of there, she felt dirty and unclean, then a wicked smile crossed her face, "That's why I'm named Rhea, I should have guessed it, 'Operation Titan', Rhea was a Titan, Cronus's wife and the Mother of the Greek Gods. God, so original." She shook her head, it hurt, it burned, everything was too much. Images of her dreams came back, the lights, the men and the man in the mask, Rhea went cold, that man in the mask, he was the Winter Soldier. Somehow she remembered him looking at her as a baby. She'd had enough, before Steve could do anything she bolted for the door, straight out like a bullet.

"Rhea wait!" Steve shouted, but Rhea couldn't even hear him.

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**PS Authors note: Thanks again and chapter 5 is on its way! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: So chapter 5, sorry for the delay! College exams, so this isn't the best chapter ever but it's needed to get the ball rolling! Thanks for all the new followers, its totally amazing! Hope you enjoy and let me know what you think! **

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Chapter 5: Run

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Rhea ran, she ran until her lungs burned. She flew by people coming out of shops and almost sent a rather posh looking woman on her back side. Soon her legs burned and she couldn't run any further, she stopped dead in her tracks. Her heart was racing, almost pounding out of her chest. Information was spinning in her head, Hydra, SHIELD and Steve, she was a clone, a clone of Captain America. Suddenly Rhea felt her lunch making a reappearance, she vomited on the ground at her feet, then swayed to the left, her legs not wanting to support her weight. Tears began to stream down her face, she wiped her mouth. She couldn't move, she didn't know what to do. She looked around, _I don't even know where I am, _she thought and then began to shake.

"Are you ok?" A familiar voice said.

Rhea whipped around, "You." Standing before her was the guy in the hoody, she staggered forward towards him then collapsed.

"Whoa, hang on," The guy stepped forward and grabbed her. Rhea wanted to protest, but she was too weak. "I got you." He said, supporting her weight like she was a feather. "God you're ice cold." He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. Rhea looked at what he was doing and saw a flash of metal, she gulped. "Ok where do you live?" He asked her. Rhea shook her head. She didn't want to say. "C'mon, you are in no state, and how did you get all the way out here?" She felt him steady his grip around her waist.

She gulped, "Georgetown."

"Ok thats a start, бог это как рвать зубы," He sighed. Rhea rolled her eyes, 'god it's like pulling teeth', again with the Russian.

"I know you," She whispered.

He paused, "What do you mean?"

"I know who you are," Rhea coughed, "You're Bucky, The Winter Soldier."

She felt him tense, "I don't want to talk about it. Come on, walk."

Some how Bucky got her back to her apartment, he opened the door and led her to the couch. "Stay there." He motioned and went over to the kitchen. He returned with a glass of water and handed it to her, "Drink that."

"You're full of orders aren't you?" Rhea said taking the glass.

Bucky bristled, "Just drink the water."

Rhea took a sip and pulled his jacket around her shoulders a little more, she was still trembling. She looked up at Bucky and realised that he was still staring at her, "You aren't going to try and kill me are you, because that would be the cherry on top of what's been going on today."

Bucky shook his head, "No I'm not. But why were you all the way out of town?"

Rhea shivered again, remembering earlier, "I…. I don't know, today has been a little different."

Bucky looked at her, her blue eyes looked duller then when he had seen her in the museum where they were vibrant and alive, she looked defeated, "Look, I'm going to tell anyone what happened, I'm sorta on the run. I've done some pretty bad things, and well you're the first person I think I've helped since 1944, well I saved Steve last summer."

Rhea was slowly starting to get some sense back into her head, for the first time she looked at Bucky. She put the glass down on the coffee table and reached forward. She took down his hood, then took off his baseball cap, he flinched when she touched him. His hair fell into place and dropped over his eyes. Rhea sat back, that was what she saw ten years ago, there he was, the Winter Soldier. "So what happened to you?" She asked simply.

Bucky tensed his jaw, "I don't know. Hydra got me, I was trained then by the KGB, and they froze me when I wasn't needed, they tortured me, and brainwashed me. I killed people, a lot of people." He hung his head.

Rhea suddenly felt a pang of sympathy, but she didn't let her guard down. She got to her feet and wobbled slightly, Bucky watched her every move. She walked over to the windows and shut all the curtains then went over and locked the door. "Don't turn on any lights, or else Steve and the others will know I'm here, I'm not ready for that yet." She slumped back on the couch. "Look you're welcome to stay here tonight if you want, the couch is comfortable."

"I don't think I should," Bucky shook his head.

"You saved ass twice in less than 24 hours, I think I owe you Bucky, oh can I call you Bucky? I know your name is James, but Steve kept referring to you as Bucky so it's kinda in my head." Rhea said and got up to get him a blanket.

"Yeah it's fine," He nodded. He couldn't argue about staying, she wasn't going to let him go. He sighed, she was the only one to call him Bucky in so long. He had totally forgotten his name, but then Steve said it last summer and it triggered his memories, and they were still coming back, each time it was painful and his head felt like it was going to explode.

Rhea came back in with a blanket and Bucky was still sitting in the same place, "Here," She handed it to him, "My room is just there if you need me." She went to turn and leave.

"Wait," Bucky said, "What happened to you?"

Rhea gulped, "It didn't just happen, it is me, and it always has been." She saw Bucky's look of confusion, "We are Hydra's creations together Bucky. I'm Steve's clone, I was made to most likely travel with you and we would destroy any chance the world had of hope."

Bucky froze, "What?"

Rhea nodded, "I have a memory from when I was really small, I was in a room, there were men around me, and you, you were there, looking down at me."

Bucky shook his head, "I don't remember, I'm sorry."

Rhea shrugged, "Doesn't matter now I suppose. Well good night Bucky." With that she left him on his own in the living room. He heard her climb into bed, then he rose off the chair and sat on the couch. He lay down and closed his eyes, letting sleep take him.

_"Well Soldier, what do you think?" A man asked him gruffly. _

_Bucky looked down at the child, she was tiny, only just out of the chamber, her little big blue eyes looked up at him. _

_"Well it isn't a total success, it is a girl, so we don't have the perfect match for Captain America," Another man to his left said. _

_"No matter, if this isn't a success we can try again," The first man told him. _

_The second nodded, "The Soldier can dispose of it no point running any tests. Prepare the chamber for a second trial." He ordered and men began to scurry around. _

_Bucky looked down at the baby, he ran his metal arm over its small hand and he saw it grip his finger tightly. Then he felt and hand on his shoulder, "Don't get attached Soldier, you aren't going to be working with this one, we need it to be stronger and it isn't quite there yet. Take it outside, leave it in the snow, the wolves can deal with it." _

_Bucky nodded and scooped up the child in his arms… _"Bucky?"….. _He began to walk towards the door and grabbed a hand gun off the table….. _"Bucky!"….._ A man opened the door for him_…. "BUCKY!"

Bucky suddenly jerked awake and grabbed out at the person that was calling him, "Stop! It's me!" He quickly released Rhea's arm and wiped the sweat from his forehead, "What was that?" She asked him.

"I remember…. I remember you….. I was ordered to….. ordered to kill you, leave you out in the snow for the wolves, you weren't what they wanted…." He stopped.

Rhea just sat down on the coffee table, 24 hours ago she was a happy, normal person, her whole life seemed to be clicking in, but now everything was falling to pieces.

"I'm sorry," Bucky whispered.

She looked up at him, the moon light that was coming through the slit in the curtain travelled up his face, illuminating his blue eyes, "You have nothing to be sorry for, the way I see it, we are partial victims in all this." She stood up, "I'm going to try and sleep again, it would be great if you didn't wake me up shouting."

* * *

"Open the door Rhea!" A shout from outside woke Rhea with a start. She sat up in bed and realised that she was still in her clothes from yesterday, _maybe it was just a bad dream, _she thought. But when she walked out of her room Bucky was sitting on the couch staring at the door. "Rhea! Open the door!"

Rhea looked over at Bucky, he was ready to run, "Look don't worry its just Natasha." She tried to get him to relax, but it was a wasted exercise. Rhea walked over to the door and opened it, Natasha stormed in, red hair whipping up in her wake, and behind her followed none other than Bruce Banner.

"Oh, hi Bruce," Rhea smiled at him, and secretly hating Natasha for bringing him, _he's going to spook Bucky and all hell is going to break loose, _she thought.

Bruce gave her a sheepish smiled, "Hi Rhea."

Natasha rounded on Rhea in seconds, "Fury wants you back right now."

Rhea crossed her arms, "What if I don't want to go back, he doesn't own me Nat."

"Rhea I know Fury can be one pain in the ass, trust me. But you have to come back and talk, if Hydra get wind of this," Natasha shook her head.

"And why is Bruce here? Back up?" Rhea asked.

"No, Rhea," He said gently, "I'm here because Fury said that there is something in your blood that we need to look at, so I'm here on science business only."

Rhea looked from one to the other, good cop, bad cop. But then Natasha spotted something that Rhea hoped she wouldn't, "What the hell!? Rhea out now!" She drew her gun.

"No!" Rhea shouted and put herself between Bucky and the gun, she had no idea why she was doing this, but no one was getting shot in her apartment. Bucky looked surprised at what Rhea was doing.

"Rhea, get. Out. Of. The. Way." Natasha still had the gun aimed.

"Nat, he's saved my ass twice, I'm not letting you shoot him." Rhea said, not moving. Then she had a crazy idea, out of the corner of her eye she saw a boomerang that she bought when she went to Australia a few years ago, she grabbed it and whipped it at Natasha before she could fire the gun. The boomerang ripped through the air and hit Natasha's hand, knocking the gun to the floor. The boomerang flew back towards Rhea and she caught it with her right hand. "Sorry, but no guns in my apartment!"

Bruce grinned, "Wow, she's like Steve."

"Rhea, this guy." She pointed to Bucky, "He's tried to kill me twice."

Rhea nodded, "So I recall Nat, but he was under Hydra's control, you remember what it was like to have someone else pull the strings in your brain, crawl in there and just play?"

Natasha bristled, Rhea knew about her past, "That isn't the point, he is unstable."

Rhea walked over to Bucky and rapped him on his left arm, "Seems pretty stable to me."

"Look, I'm just gonna go," Bucky said, and went to leave.

Rhea's heart dropped, "No, don't." Bucky stopped and looked back at her. Rhea regained some composer, "You're the only one that has any idea at what it was like to be at the hands of Hydra, hell you know more than me." She turned to Natasha and Bruce, "If I go, Bucky has to go too, and you have to swear that you won't hurt or try to arrest him." She looked at Nat, "Don't make me get the boomerang again."

Natasha looked at Rhea, she knew that look, Rhea was in stubborn mode and it would be easier getting a donkey to budge then getting Rhea to change her mind, "Fine. He comes, but if he does anything that I find out of order then he's out." She turned on her heel and headed for the car that was waiting outside, Bruce nodded at Rhea and Bucky and followed Natasha out.

Rhea exhaled loudly, "Well that went well."

Bucky walked over to her, "I can't go Rhea, its mad."

Rhea looked up at him, "Relax its going to be fine. Please come, I don't really trust anyone now."

"But you trust me?" Bucky raised his eye brow.

Rhea shrugged, "I suppose." She coughed, "Come on, I don't want Bruce getting impatient, you won't like him then."

All through out the car journey they travelled in silence. Rhea just kept thinking that Natasha knew about this, about what she was. Was she really her friend or did Fury assign Natasha to be her handler or something? She tried to banish the thought from her head but it kept crawling its way back in. They arrived at a Stark Industries building that was on the out skirts of DC. Rhea opened the door and she felt Bucky shadowing her, she knew that he was eying up Bruce and to be honest if she knew what was best for her she'd be keeping an eye on him too.

"This way," Natasha grunted and walked towards the main door.

Rhea followed and looked up at the looming building before her; it was at least fifty stories high, and stuck out in the industrial area like a sore thumb, its glass facade spiralling into the air. Inside wasn't any less grand, Rhea stopped and looked up at the high ceilings. She was shunted forward by someone walking into her. "Ow," She said and turned.

"Sorry," Bucky said, "Wasn't looking." Rhea nodded, then turned, she was worried about him, he was already on edge, and if Natasha didn't keep to her word all hell would break loose.

They all got into an elevator which was probably the most awkward three minutes in Rhea's life, everyone all in close quarters and not saying anything, Rhea could see the tension radiating off Natasha and the looks she was giving Bucky, if she had heat vision he'd be on fire. They all walked through glass doors into a lab, Rhea was second last into the room and she glanced back, Bucky was frozen to the spot.

Rhea turned and walked back to him, "Hey, you ok?" He didn't say anything, "If this is too much you can go."

Bucky broke from staring at the room and looked down at her, "No I'm staying."

"You sure? You look freaked," She said gently.

Bucky tensed his jaw, "I'm fine. I'm not leaving you with these people." He stared at the group that was over in the lab.

Rhea gave him a smile, "Well, that look is good on you. Come on then." She turned and walked over to where Natasha was standing.

"Good you're here," A vibrant voice called from the other side of the room. Tony Stark walked in, grinning at everyone. His eyes fell over the crowd, "Ok has some one died? Why all tense?"

Natasha waved her hand, "Its fine Stark, lets get this going."

Tony gave her a look, "Fine fine, ok Rhea where are you? Oh there you are behind Mr. Freeze, hello by the way, my father spoke highly of you. Ok Rhea we need to take some blood samples and we'll do some physical tests."

Rhea gulped, "Where's Steve?"

"He isn't answering the phone right now miss, but don't worry I'll get through to him," JARVIS suddenly spoke making Bucky jump.

"Right come on kid, roll up those sleeves, I need your blood." Tony said taking a needle in his hand, Rhea squirmed inside, she really hated needles.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Wow more followers and reviews! Thanks so much! So it's Lab time for Rhea! Enjoy this one and let me know what you think! I'm open to suggestions as to what to do! **

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Chapter 6: DNA

* * *

Bucky leant back against the wall and watched as Tony sat Rhea down on a table. Bruce wiped down Rhea's arm and told her to take off her jumper. Bucky kept his eye firmly on Rhea, there was something about her that he couldn't put his finger on, and after his dream or memory last night he felt guilty, more guilty then he had before. He had been ordered to kill a child, an innocent child, and he had gone to obey it with out question. _What did they do to me? _He asked himself.

Rhea gasped and tensed as she felt Tony put the needle into her arm, "Damn Tony! Easy with the needle!"

"Chill, the more you wriggle the more it'll hurt," He told her than turned to Bruce, "So how much do we need again Doc?"

Bruce opened the file he had in his hand and looked through, "About 100ml, then we can start the tests."

Rhea looked down at the needle in her arm and the tube coming out of it, her own blood pumping out into a beaker. She was surprised that Bucky was still hanging around, she would have thought that he would have bolted already.

"So, Frosty? I've been reading up on you," Tony said to Bucky across the room. _Oh God Stark, shut up, _Rhea willed him to stop. "You seem to be attached to our little Rhea." Tony put his arm around her.

Bucky shifted his position against the wall, "I don't know what you mean." He narrowed his eyes.

Tony laughed, "You haven't stopped looking at her since you all arrived."

Rhea rolled her eyes, "Leave it Tony," She warned, "Look what are these tests for?"

"We need to see what your blood type is and what could be possibly lying dormant in your DNA," Bruce said over his glasses, "Then we can run tests and see how the blood reacts. While I'm doing that Tony is going to put you through some tests on a treadmill and other physical exercises."

Rhea rolled her eyes, "That's all well and good, but you're talking around it Bruce, what is really going on?"

"What is really going on is that we're trying to see if you're a Hydra sleeper agent." Rhea whipped around and saw Nick Fury walk through the door on the far side of the room. She looked over at Bucky, his eyes were wide, he was remembering what he did to Nick last summer, _Crap, this isn't going to end well, _Rhea said to herself, _Please Bucky don't freak out. _

But Rhea was proved wrong, "A sleeper agent?" Bucky asked Nick, looking him in the eye.

"Yes Barnes, a sleeper agent. I don't know what programming she already had done before I got her out of that base in Siberia." Nick glared at him.

Bucky moved him his position, "She is not a sleeper agent."

"Oh? And how can you be sure? You don't even remember your own name kid!" Fury was getting irritated.

"Because I do remember, they didn't even run tests on her, they just told me to get rid of her, let the wolves have her," He said, a disturbed look on his face.

Fury turned to Rhea, "Is this true?"

Rhea nodded sheepishly, "I think so, I've been having a nightmare about something like that since I was a kid, same dream. And then Bucky remembers it, so it must have some truth to it."

Fury shook his head, "They just keep getting more and more insane," He said almost to himself, then he looked up, "Right we need to get moving on this."

Rhea finished giving her blood then she was told to have a chocolate bar, to get her sugar levels back on track, and then she was told to change into a pair of shorts and a high cut top so the machine could monitor her. Rhea took the clothes and slipped into the changing room, _right so I have to walk out there in pretty much nothing to a room full of men, oh yeah, because that is totally normal, _She rolled her eyes to herself, pulling on the shorts.

She walked out of the room and all eyes turned to her, she sighed and walked over to the treadmill, then clapped her hands, "Guys! Front and centre! Come on!" Tony coughed and along with Bruce began to attach the wiring on to her chest and head.

"Right we're gonna start off at a jog, then as we go I'll increase the pace of the treadmill, you tell me if you can't keep up and I'll slow it down," Tony told her and took the controller in his hand, "Ok here we go."

Rhea felt the treadmill start underneath her, she looked over at Bucky who was still against the back wall, she picked up a jog, feeling her way into the rhythm.

"Ok I'm gonna crank up the speed," Tony told her and turned the dial.

Rhea increased her speed, something caught her eye on the far side of the room, she grinned, Steve. She didn't think she'd be happy to see him but she was. She jogged on and broke into a run.

"Faster?" Tony asked. Rhea nodded, her legs moved with the speed of the treadmill. She saw Steve come nearer to the group, he looked a little surprised, then she saw Bucky had taken a few steps closer.

"Again?" Tony said.

"Yeah," Rhea nodded and pushed back against her heels to keep pace.

Tony shook his head, "Heart is pumping as if she's just jogging, respiration rate pretty much normal," He sounded a little freaked, then turned to Rhea, "Faster?" Rhea nodded and pushed on, her feet pounding down on the treadmill, she grinned, she loved this, running, running as fast as she possibly could, feeling like everything was behind her.

"Ok, nicely done kid," Tony said and began to slow down the treadmill, Rhea slowed her paced to a jog then to a walk and then stopped. She was breathing a little heavily but nothing too serious.

"So what was that Stark?" Fury asked.

Tony looked at the data that came up on the screen and ran his hand through his hair, "Eh…. Nick…. she was clocking about 40m/ph… yeah." He looked up at Rhea.

Rhea stared at the data, 40m/ph that couldn't be possible, she was a fast runner but that was… un-human. She looked over at Steve and Bucky, both were staring at her. She gave a small grin then stepped off the treadmill, "What's next?"

Tony had her lifting weights, it seemed that 80kg was all she could lift, and after a number of other tests Rhea was finally allowed to sit down. She plonked down on a bench and wiped her forehead with her hand. Steve sat beside her, "So, did you know you could do that?" He gestured to the machines.

Rhea shook her head, "No idea what so ever." She looked over for Bucky, he was pretty much in the same place, "Bucky," She called to him and beckoned him over. He looked at Steve and then looked at the floor. Rhea rolled her eyes and stood up, she walked over to him and took him by the hand, "Come on." She led him over to Steve.

Bucky looked down at the hand Rhea grabbed, it wasn't his normal one, she took the metal hand, but she didn't flinch or ask. He followed her over and stood behind her.

"Oh for Christ sake," Rhea crossed her arms, "I believe you know each other?" She motioned to each of them.

Steve looked at Bucky and stood up, he looked his old friend up and down, then took a step towards him, "Buck, I'm so sorry, I should have tried to find you."

Bucky shook his head, "What happened happened Steve, I have to keep telling myself that every day, each time I think about all those people that I killed, I have to try and push forward, even though I did those awful things…." He trailed off. Steve suddenly stepped forward and wrapped his old friend in a hug, Bucky tensed then relaxed.

Rhea grinned, "There we go, friends again, bromance it out guys, I'm off to see if I'm a genetic mutant." She walked over to Tony and Bruce who were still looking at her blood work. "So any news?"

Bruce looked up, "None yet, but we're still compiling, don't think we're going to have anything until tomorrow."

Rhea sighed, "So I'm meant to stay here all night?"

"Looks that way kid," Tony said to her, "JARVIS, I'm starving, can you put in an order for pizza?"

"Right away sir," JARVIS answered.

"Me too!" Rhea said, "Extra cheese." She walked around to the window and looked at DC in the distance, it looked so peaceful and quiet, not like the storm that was going on in her head. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Steve! You scared the crap outta me."

"Sorry," He said, "Look we have to talk about all this." He tilted his head in the direction of the lab.

"Ok before you start, if you want nothing to do with me that's fine, I totally understand. If I had a clone I probably couldn't look at it, I'd find it all gross, and I know that you had nothing to do with it, come to think of it, it was all SHIELD and Hydra, but I mean….Why are you hugging me?" Steve had cut her off in mid sentence and wrapped her in a hug.

"Because you were babbling," He said, she could hear his voice vibrate in his chest, "Rhea I know that this is all new and scary but I want you to know that I don't find you 'gross', I always wanted a little sister and well know I have one, well a twin that is seventy-one years younger than me." He smiled down at her.

A wave of relief washed over Rhea, she thought that Steve would be furious and he would never speak to her again, "You really mean that?"

"Every word," He nodded.

"Well big bro, hows Bucky doing?" She asked looking over at the still rather tense figure in the corner of the lab.

"He's completely disturbed and frightened. His emotions are all over the place, he says he keeps getting flash backs of what he did to people in the past. I just can't imagine what he went through," Steve said quietly.

"Steve, it wasn't your fault," Rhea said putting her hand on his shoulder, "We just need to help him some how."

"Well you've managed to do more in the last 24 hours for him than what Sam and I have been trying to do for the last six months," Steve raised his eyebrows.

Rhea nodded, "Yeah I mean I literally just bumped into him, and I've kept running into him ever since. Then when I asked him he just followed me here, I didn't think he would."

Steve ran his hand through his hair, "Well maybe we can use that, build on it and try and get him on an even playing field again."

Rhea looked over at Bucky, she bit her lip, then shook off a feeling, "Sounds like something I could do."

"The pizza has arrived," JARVIS called out.

Rhea bolted to the elevator and grabbed the boxes off the poor unsuspecting pizza boy, "I got it." She grinned.

Rhea sat crossed legged on the floor, a pizza box laid out in front of her. She took a piece of pizza in her hand and began to eat it slowly, thinking. She had been watching Bruce and Tony work for the last five hours, they only took one break. Steve had left, Natasha called him, there was a situation in New York that he had to deal with, _The perks of being Captain America, _Rhea thought. A sound of someone sitting beside her broke her thoughts, she looked up from her thoughts and saw that Bucky was sitting opposite her.

"Hi," She smiled at him, "You must be starving, here." She offered him the pizza box. Bucky eyed it suspiciously, the he reached out and took a slice, biting down slowly, "Good isn't it?" Rhea said to him.

He looked up at her and nodded, "Yeah not bad."

"So," Rhea put the crust back in the box, "What's your plan?"

Bucky looked surprised, "Eh, I don't really know."

"Bucky, you can't wander around the world for the rest of your life. I mean you got skills, you can use them. The Avengers could use you." Rhea said gesturing back to Tony and Bruce.

Bucky moved his position, "I don't know, my skill set isn't really appropriate."

"You can make it whatever you want it to be, you are free now," Rhea reached out and put her hand on his knee. "No one can hurt you any more."

Bucky looked over at Rhea's blue eyes, they were back to that vibrant blue that he saw before in the museum.

"Hey, you two, up off the floor." Nick Fury called to them.

"When did he reappear?" Rhea murmured to herself.

"So, we have the results of your blood work done Rhea," Bruce said to her, and looked down at the notes in his hand, "And eh JARVIS, can we get the data on the screens?" A screen appeared and suddenly there were equations and numbers that were flying around, none of which made any sense to Rhea. "So what we've found is that you are genetically identical to Steve as we thought, DNA, blood type etc. But there are some differences in other aspects as we've found." He changed the screen, "We found this. It's a genetic code that is varied and from the studies I've done and what Tony has been able to uncover is that with an injection of a serum the genetic code should unlock, and well, you'll have the same abilities as Bucky, you'll be stronger than Steve, and faster as we've already seen."

Rhea was silent, she didn't know what to think, she looked back at Bucky, he was equally shocked. "I…. I don't know what to say."

"I'm as confused as you are kid, but the reality is we need to control this gene, it could mutate into anything if it isn't used properly." Tony said to her.

"So what you're saying is; I get this injection and become a super-what-ever and my life is changed, or I leave it and face turning into some thing worse?"

Tony nodded, "Pretty much."

Rhea gulped, she looked from Bruce, to Tony, to Nick and then to Bucky. She took a breath, "Well then…. prepare that serum Stark."


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Hi everyone! Major thanks for the new likes! And keep the reviews coming in, let me know what you think. This is a slower chapter, just getting Rhea get up into what she'll become. Enjoy! **

* * *

Chapter 7: Super-Something

* * *

Two Days Later

_OK Rhea, this is gonna be fine, you can do this, _Rhea told herself as Bruce got her to sit down on a chair. Rhea felt her heart rate getting faster. She looked over as Bruce was getting the serum ready, she gulped. Rhea shifted in her seat, she was about to do something that was irreversible. The injection was going to turn her into a super-soldier, or super-whatever, _I'm no soldier, _she thought. She tensed her jaw and looked over as Tony was doing some final calculations.

Bucky leant against the table opposite Rhea, he knew what was going to happen to her, he had been through it, the pain, _God the pain, _Bucky thought to himself, flashing back to the first time that he got the injection from Doctor Zola before Steve got him out of the Hydra base, he past out with the pain. Now Rhea was being sat down on a chair and about to go through the same thing, he wasn't happy, he glared at Stark, who was hauntingly like his father.

Fury walked over beside Rhea, "Ok kid, you ready for this?"

Rhea looked up at him, "I think so," She coughed.

Fury put his hand on her shoulder, "You'll do great." Then he turned to Bruce, "Have we got everything ready Doctor?"

Bruce looked up and nodded, "Pretty much, we're set to go."

"Ok Rhea," Bruce said to her, "I'm going to inject this into your arm, we'll be monitoring your heart and breathing for the whole thing."

Rhea nodded, her mouth going dry, "Will it last long?" She asked quietly.

"It shouldn't," Bruce tried to sooth her.

Rhea nodded then sat back in the chair, crossing her ankles with nerves. Bruce picked up the serum from the tray and flicked the needle with his fingers to make sure that all was ready. He looked at Rhea and nodded, she heard the beep as her heart rate went up. She gasped as Bruce put the needle into her arm, suddenly it felt as though her blood was burning. She let out a banshee like scream and went to move.

"Don't let her move!" Bruce said, but as he and Tony tried to hold her down she practically threw them to the other side of the room.

Bucky looked on in horror as he saw Rhea's blue eyes go ice blue, the bluest he had ever seen, like crystal. He jumped forward and wrapped his left arm around around her, "Easy Rhea, breathe, I know," He said into her ear. He held her close to him as she writhed in pain as the serum coursed through her body. She screamed and shouted, kicking out but Bucky didn't let go, he locked his arm around her hearing the metal clink into place like a vice. Bruce and Tony picked themselves off the ground and just stared.

Tony turned to Bruce, "If you have created another Hulk, I am going to end you." Bruce gulped.

Bucky felt Rhea calm slightly, she was moving less in his grip, but he still held her just incase. Rhea gave a whimper and went quiet. Bucky lessened his grip and tried to look around, Rhea's eyes were closed. "What happened?" He demanded.

Bruce looked at the monitors, "Her heart beat is coming back on track, and her breathing is returning to normal. But she's passed out with the pain."

"Barnes, bring her over to the hospital bed," Fury said to Bucky.

Bucky scooped Rhea up in his arms, she felt cold on his normal arm. He lay her down on the bed and stepped back, "What do we do?"

"We wait until she wakes up kid, we won't know anything until then," Fury said to him.

* * *

_Where am I? _Rhea thought, _Ugh, my head, it kills. _She went to open her eyes, but shut them quickly again, the light was too bright. _Great, I knew this serum was a bad idea, what am I meant to do now, go around for the rest of my life with my eyes closed? _

"Any change Bruce?" A familiar voice asked.

"Nothing, she has to wake up soon," Bruce answered.

_I'm awake you dumbasses, just having technical difficulties, _Rhea said in her mind.

Bucky looked down at Rhea, she was still out cold, no sign of life bar a faint heart beat. He glared over at Fury, why did Rhea agree to this?

Suddenly all of the men jumped as a gasp like someone was coming up for air after being underwater filled the silent room. Rhea sat up like something out of the exorcist.

"Jesus kid, my heart," Tony said and leant against a table. Bucky noticed a green glint die down in Bruce Banners eyes.

"Rhea?" Fury asked gently.

Rhea turned to look at them all and blinked a couple of times, then sat forward and held her head, "Ow! Feels like the worst hang over ever!"

"She's fine," Tony waved his hand.

Fury ignored Tony and walked in front of Rhea, "Who am I?" He asked her.

Rhea looked at him for a second, "You're Nick Fury, a lying asshole that kept the fact that I am a Hydra weapons from me for the last 25 years. Sound right?"

"She has ya there Nick," Tony nodded.

"Shut up Stark," Fury glared at him. "And do you know these people," He pointed around the room.

Rhea looked, "Ego-centric billionaire that doesn't play well with others aka Tony Stark. Bruce Banner, a genius with serious anger issues. And Bucky Barnes, ex assassin and currently the only person in this room that know how much my head hurts right now! Good enough?!" She asked.

Fury nodded, "Right on the money."

Rhea lifted her legs that seemed to be made of lead, and put them over the edge of the bed then let them fall so she could stand. Her legs crumpled beneath her weight.

"Whoa," Bucky said and caught her, "If I remember they're gonna be a bit like jelly for a few hours."

Rhea nodded, "So, did it work?"

Bruce walked forward, "It'll take a few days to see if it's really kicked in. Then we can runs tests."

Rhea rolled her eyes, "More tests, I feel like a damn lab rat."

"You need to go and get some rest and we'll call you tomorrow," Fury told her. "Barnes will go with you."

"I'll do what?" Bucky questioned, putting his hands up.

"You'll stay with her," Fury told him as if it was nothing, "You know what she's going through and for the whole procedure you haven't left her, so unless you have other plans tonight, then you're going with her."

Rhea saw Bucky bristle, he hated being given orders. Rhea out her hand on Bucky's good shoulder, "Only if you want to." She smiled gently, trying to take a different approach to Fury.

Bucky looked down at her, "Ok," he nodded.

Rhea breathed a small sigh of relief, "Ok so can I try that standing thing again?"

* * *

Fury led both Bucky and Rhea into a room in the Stark Industries building. Rhea looked around, there were two single beds at opposite ends of the room, the walls were white and clean and in the corner was a dresser with some books. She walked stiffly over to one of the beds and sat down, then looked over at Fury as a wave of tiredness swept through her.

"You both can rest here tonight and we can start seeing what changes have occurred tomorrow with you Rhea," Fury said to her, watching as Bucky walked over to the other bed and sat down. Fury walked over to Rhea and bent to her ear, "I am very proud of you." He patted her shoulder and walked out of the room.

Rhea watched him leave and closed the door, she looked over at Bucky then spoke, "JARVIS, are you listening in on us?"

"Of course, and Mr. Stark has eyes on you as well," JARVIS answered back. Rhea rolled her eyes, she should have known they wouldn't leave her alone, especially with Bucky and his record.

"How did you know to ask that?" Bucky asked, sitting up and putting his hands together.

Rhea shrugged, "Just figured they wouldn't want their latest experiment going AWOL or otherwise." Bucky grinned, it was the first time that Rhea has seen him smile, he's whole face lit up with a cheeky grin, she couldn't help but grin back at him. "Well and plus you're here too."

"What about me?" Bucky asked innocently.

Rhea raised her eye brows, "You can practically cut the tension with an ice pick anytime any of them step near you, they're freaked."

"Really? Well I suppose," He said thoughtfully, then shrugged some thought off, "So how do you feel?"

Rhea rubbed her head, "Well my head feels like its going to explode, every joint kills and it feels like I've run about five marathons in a row."

Bucky nodded, "Sounds about right."

"So this is what you went through?" Rhea asked him.

Bucky narrowed his eyes trying to remember, "Everything is still hazy, I can't remember much, but I do remember pain and a lot of it, and when they did my arm I think I passed out."

Rhea looked at the sadness in Bucky's eyes and the fear behind that, "So they wiped your brain or something?"

He nodded, "Every time I finished a…. mission, they would wipe my memory and put me in a cryogenic freezer until the next time."

Rhea shivered, "Jesus…. So you're used to all this." She gestured around the room, "Labs, white walls, needles, white coats?"

Bucky sighed, "Pretty much all I've known since 1944."

"I keep forgetting that," Rhea shook her head, "So when were you born?"

Bucky thought, trying to remember what he read in the exhibition, "I think 1917."

Rhea pointed her finger in the air and made some shapes, muttering to herself, "So that makes you 96, holy crap. Well you're looking pretty good for 96."

Bucky gave her a lopsided smile, "Thanks."

Rhea lay back in the bed and stared up ay the white ceiling, she felt the pain ease slightly in her body for the first time in a few hours. She thought about what might happen, she knew that no one forced her into this, but what if she didn't want to be a super-soldier or a super anything, would they let her just walk away knowing everything that she would have the power to do?

"Rhea?" Bucky called quietly from the other side of the room, "I just wanna say thanks. You're the first person I've met thats made me feel, well, human again. I'm slowly starting to regain memories and I think it's because of you."

Rhea smiled to herself, "Мы в этом вместе" She replied, 'we're in this together'.


	8. Chapter 8

Another 8

**Author's Note: Hi everyone! Hope you enjoy this one, I'm not to sure about it, very hard to write this chapter. Please review, I need advice as to where it should go, open to suggestions! I'm new to Marvel, I know DC so much better! So my knowledge is based off be asking my poor friend a lot questions, the movies and I'm trying to read some Cap comics. But let me know where you might think it should go, I have an idea but no idea how to get it there! Thanks in advance! **

* * *

Chapter 8: Ice

* * *

"Ok Rhea," Tony Stark said to her, he held out his hand and off the table flew pieces of the new Iron Man suit.

Rhea ducked as one almost hit her head, "I thought you blew them all up?" She said tugging at the uniform she'd be given by Fury that morning, it was a dark blue with a dark red strip up each leg and up her waist then another down her arms, she wasn't all too pleased with it but it beat her normal clothes getting even more destroyed.

Tony moved as the suit locked into place, "Please, of course I built a new one, a man gets bored." He said as the face piece shot into place. It flicked back so Rhea was looking at his face, "Right now that I'm ready we can begin."

Rhea looked at Tony, "Stark you're in full armour, I'm in blue and red ones-ie, what's the deal?"

Tony walked back a few steps and took a defence position, "Because when you were getting that serum you chucked me and Bruce across the room, so I ain't taking a chance here." He tapped the helmet and it came down.

Rhea gulped. She never fought in her life, back in Ireland she'd done some self defence classes, but nothing on the scale that the Avengers were on, she remembered when Nat had tried to teach her but gave up as Rhea just kept tripping over. She looked to her left, Bucky was leaning back against the wall watching their every move. She turned her attention back to Tony and squared up to him.

"Ok we're going to go through some simple moves first and then see what skills you've got," He grinned at her. Before Rhea could react Tony crossed the distance between them and raised his hand to punch her in the ribs. Rhea saw what he was doing and brought her hand up and stopped Tony's attempt. Suddenly this feeling came over her it was like someone poured ice over her head, it trickled down her body, her vision narrowed, she held Tony's fist in hers and squeezed, then she swiped her leg and hooked it around his and pulled. Tony landed on the ground with a thud, Rhea stood back, then reached down to get his leg, she pulled and then threw him across the room. Rhea felt herself come back to normal, she looked over at Tony and covered her mouth, "Oh my god! Tony I'm so sorry!" She ran over to him and helped him up.

"Well I'm glad I wore the suit," He said rubbing his back, "What the hell was that? You were standing there like Bambi in headlights then you turned all kung fu on my ass."

Rhea looked worried, "I felt different, it was like my body knew what was happening."

Tony narrowed his eyes at her, "Ok JARVIS, what happened with Rhea, can you give us a replay and feed back?"

A screen appeared in front of Tony and he hit play. Rhea watched herself, she was standing there as Tony came towards her then she saw her body language change, it went from not know what to do to ninja in two seconds flat, she winced when she saw Tony hit the wall on the playback. "Sir," JARVIS spoke up, "There was a slight change in Miss Roger's vitals when she counteracted your offence. Her body temperature dropped from 98.2 to 50."

Rhea's jaw dropped, her temperature dropped over thirty degrees in a second. She began to panic, _what's going on with me, _she thought, narrowing her eyebrows in worry. The panic began to spike, she felt the change, and this time she felt what JARVIS was talking about, she felt a little bit cold.

"Hey, are you alright?" Bruce walked over and touched her arm, "Jesus!" He retracted his hand quickly in shock. "Rhea focus, listen to me."

Bucky was at her side in seconds, "Rhea?" Rhea turned to look Bucky, and he saw her eyes, they were ice blue, cold. But he didn't recoil, he knew what it was like when people recoiled from you, it drove you further away. He took her shoulders in her hands, her skin was cold against his normal hand, "Rhea look at me, come back, breathe."

Rhea looked up at Bucky, concern filled his eyes, she took a deep breath, listening to his voice, she focused on it, focused on the feeling of his hands on her shoulders, she felt her heart rate coming down, her breathing come back to normal, "What's going on?" She asked, her voice breaking slightly.

"I have no idea," Tony answered her, "We need to run some more tests. Bruce lets get going on this."

Rhea slumped on against the wall and sat down with a thud, her mind was racing, she almost seriously injured someone and was having severe temperature spikes, she knew that wasn't a good sign. She looked up as she felt someone sit beside her, "I feel so lost," She sighed.

Bucky nodded, "I know the feeling. Look I'm not the one to trust people, especially after what's happened to both you and me, but I think that Stark and Banner's hearts are in the right place, possibly."

Rhea looked up at him and smiled, he was trying to be gentle but his mistrust of people was blocking him, "Thanks Bucky." She looked over at Bruce and Tony pouring over data and putting this hurriedly into test tubes. She sighed, so far her new life wasn't going all that well, and she was certainly no Captain America, far from it. Rhea yawned and without thinking she leaned and rested her head against Bucky's shoulder. He tensed at the sudden contact, but looked down at the golden head on his shoulder, he knew the confusion, the fear that she was going through. For the past six months he had never felt so alone and scared, knowing what he had done, all those people he had killed and he didn't even remember their names or faces, they had just been a mission. But somehow fate, if fate even existed, had intervened, giving him something. He fought back the memory of the last time he and Rhea met, she had been tiny in his arms in fact he only needed one arm to hold her. Now she was sitting beside him leaning against his shoulder a fully grown woman, the fear hitting her like it had him.

Rhea felt the heat coming from Bucky, it was a welcome relief after what she'd just done. He didn't say anything to her he just sat and stared over at Tony and Bruce, he was like her watchdog, following her every move. She adjusted her position on the floor as she felt one side of her bum go numb, and she uncrossed her legs and let them out in front of her.

"Hey legs eleven! Whats going on?" Rhea looked up as Steve walked in. He saw her and Bucky slumped on the floor, "Eh, someone want to fill me in?"

Surprisingly Bucky answered, "Well Rhea went a little off script in the first attempt at training, so we've been sidelined while the brains over there work it out." He gestured over to the two men working like demons.

Steve looked from the two on the floor to Tony and Bruce, "Ok, I'm still not totally filled in on what happened."

"Neither are we Steve," Rhea sighed not making eye contact with him.

Steve ran his hand through his hair and then sat down beside Rhea, "Well then, I'm just gonna stay here with my little sister until those two find an answer." He smiled down at her and took her hand and gave it a squeeze.

* * *

A few hours later Tony looked up from the desk, Bruce had managed to make head way in what was going on with Rhea and he didn't think that she would be overly thrilled at the news. He looked to his right and saw that it was dark outside, they must have been working for over twelve hours straight. He yawned and stretched as Bruce came back with the results.

"Well we better tell her," Bruce waved the pieces of paper.

Tony nodded and looked over to where he last saw Rhea, he grinned. Rhea was fast asleep on Bucky's shoulder, Frosty was asleep too, and he never noticed Steve come in but he was holding Rhea's hand and his chest rose up and down as he slept. "It's a super-soldier sleep over." Tony grinned to himself.

Bruce rolled his eyes, "Well we have to wake them up."

Tony turned to Bruce, "Oh yeah? Be my guest, Steve might jump us, Barnes is more likely to grab us with that arm of his and well we have no idea what Rhea will do."

Bruce nodded, "You have a point." Then he put the piece of paper down, "JARVIS?"

"At your service sir," JARVIS answered.

"Can you wake up the sleeping beauties over there?" Bruce asked.

From across the room one of the robots with a claw arm began to move over towards Steve, it reached its arm down and touched Steve on the top of his head. Steve jumped awake startling Rhea and Bucky, "What the hell?" Steve said.

Bucky was already on his feet looking around. Rhea got up and put her hand on his shoulder, "It's ok Bucky, it was just the robot." She soothed then turned to the robot itself, "If you do that again I am donating you to a high school." She glared at it.

Steve chuckled at her then looked over to Bruce and Tony, "So what's the news?"

Rhea felt nervous, she shied behind Bucky slightly, not really wanting to hear what they had found. Bucky glanced behind him and saw Rhea looking worried, he reached his good hand back and took hers and squeezed. Rhea exhaled loudly.

Bruce cleared his throat, "Ok Rhea, we found what is causing the change, and the good news is with training you can control it."

Rhea narrowed her eyes, "Control it?"

Bruce leafed through the papers and ran his hands through his hair, "Well the changes in your temperature are due to the serum, they might wear off or they may get worse. If that is the case we need to start working on control."

Rhea stepped backwards and almost stumbled, her heart rate started to go up again, "Are you saying that I'm now some sort of genetic freak?"

Tony shook his head, "No kid, we're not we're just saying that the serum reacted differently for you then it did with Steve."

Steve looked at Rhea, her eyes were wide in fear, he took her hand, "Rhea we are all going to figure this out together. Right Buck?"

Bucky nodded, "Of course."

* * *

Two Days Later

Rhea had hidden in her new room for days, she didn't want to come out, just in case her new power did something to someone.

"Knock knock," Rhea looked up to see Bucky standing in the doorway.

"I….." Rhea started to speak.

"Don't wanna see anyone? Yeah I've been there," Bucky walked into the room ignoring the look that Rhea was giving him. "You can't stay here forever."

Rhea sat up in her bed, "I can't do this Bucky, I just don't know what to do."

Bucky sat on the bed, "I know, but you have to try. Where's the girl with attitude that I met in the museum?" He gave her a small smile. He offered her his hand, "Come on, everyone is out. Let's try this training thing again."

Rhea shook her head, "I don't wanna hurt you Bucky."

Bucky flexed his metal arm, "That ain't gonna happen."

He led her down to the training room that she had been in two days before. Rhea was happy that there was a lack of people. She watched as Bucky strode away from her and took off his jacket, he turned to her just in a t-shirt, the light catching his metal arm. "Ok the first thing you need to know about combat is always be in control, if you are in control you can dictate where the fight is going, if you aren't, then well, you loose," He said to her and walked to her right. Rhea had never seen him like this, he was in his element talking about fight training. "So, what I want you to do is come and give me your best punch," He opened his arms to her.

Rhea hesitated, "Are you sure?" Bucky nodded at her. She sighed and walked over to him, she made a fist and brought it back like she'd seen people do in movies and punched him straight in the chest. Bucky grunted on the impact, but then he countered it. He grabbed Rhea by her right arm and then with his foot kicked her backwards. She landed on her bum with a thud, "What the hell?"

Bucky grinned at her, "I was in control."

Rhea frowned and pulled herself up off the ground, "Ok," She cracked her fingers. She had thought a lot about her new found power, and she remembered what she told Steve when they first met, '_you can't keep looking back or you're gonna run into something in the future_', and she needed to practice what she preached. She dug deep within herself, she felt the cold, the ice trickle down her back, but this time she started it. She felt it spread down to her fingers, it slid like water. She opened her eyes and looked up, she saw Bucky step back at the site of her eyes. They were crystal blue, like looking into winter. She smiled at Bucky and moved her fingers, _here it goes. _She flicked her hand towards him, and gasped. Shooting out of her hand came a boomerang, but it was made of ice. Bucky raised his metal arm and the boomerang clanged off it and shattered. Rhea stood in shock, and looked at her hand, it looked totally normal.

Bucky stared at her, "What just happened?"

Rhea grinned at him, "Well maybe I should have been called the Winter Soldier."


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Hi guys! Sorry for the delay, I have exams! This is a short chapter, but I promise that the action is gonna kick off! So enjoy and review, helps me to know what people think, and if you have a suggestion to where the story should go tell me! Thanks! **

* * *

Chapter 9: The Past 

* * *

Two Months Later

* * *

Rhea grinned as she stood on top of the Stark Industries building, she took a deep breath feeling the colder air from the north come into her lungs. Winter was near, she loves the changing of the seasons, watching the leaves go from orange to red and drift off the trees. She closed her eyes, this was the part she loved. She felt the cold flow over her, down her back, sinking to her toes and then out of her fingers. She remembered back a few months ago when it scared the crap out of her, but after that training session with Bucky something in her head switched, she went back to that over confident, cheeky person she was before, she realised that she was still herself, not Steve.

"Enjoying yourself there?" A voice made Rhea turn, she lost her footing and felt herself tip off the edge of the building.

"Crap," She swore then shot ice out of her hand and it locked against a turret coming out of the side of the building. She swung back up and landed back on the roof. "Are you trying to kill me?"

Bucky walked out grinning, "No, not anymore."

Rhea rolled her eyes at him, "Well next time warn me, I don't think Fury or Banner would be over excited to see their science experiment fall off the building."

Bucky laughed, "You really need to stop calling yourself that."

"I will when you give up The Winter Soldier," She crossed her arms, "I can't watch Game of Thrones and take it seriously ever since I met you... Winter is Coming." She made a creepy gesture with her hands towards Bucky's face.

Bucky shook his head. "Come on Stark sent me up to get you." He turned to leave.

Rhea dropped off the ledge, "What does Ironing Board want now?" She trudged after Bucky.

They both walked into the lab, Rhea looked over at the chair where she started her new life. Tony was sitting on a chair looking over some data, she smile at Steve who appeared in the door carrying a bag, she hadn't seen him in a while, he and Natasha had been on some missions with Sam.

Tony looked up, "Let it go...Let it go... The cold doesn't bother me anyway..!" He sang once he spotted Rhea.

Rhea gave him a filthy look, "Every time Stark?!"

"Yup!" He nodded like a proud child.

Rhea growled and flashed her eyes icy blue at him making him jump back, "Every time?!" He squirmed.

"Yup!" She gave him a satisfied smile.

Steve decided to break it up before one of them got hurt, well before Tony got hurt, "So Sis, how's the training going?"

Rhea looked over at Steve, pulling her attention from Tony, "Good, almost there with that move." She smiled at her brother. They had decided a while ago to call each other siblings, Rhea loves Steve with all her heart and she felt a sense of pride to say that she was Captain America's sister.

"Nice, Bucky not working you too hard?" He grinned at his old friend.

"Well I could use a day off," Rhea teased and dodged a swat from Bucky. "Well why are you here?"

Tony clicked his fingers, "Because of this." A screen appeared in front of them all, a dot was shown on two points in the globe. Rhea gulped, one was Moscow and the other was Dublin. "Hydra is reforming," Tony said getting off the seat, "They are using these two cities to regroup and Fury wants you guys to take then out."

"You're not coming Stark," Steve asked.

Tony shook his head, "Nope, Pepper found out at the Mark 45 and I had to put it away," He looked like a child that had his toys taken away.

Steve walked over to the map and began to study it, "Well we can't take both cities at the same time with just the three of us, and if we take one then the other will get word."

"You're right, you have to hit both at the same time," Tony agreed, pulling up more stats. "I'll call in Natasha and Sam to help you. JARVIS get on that will you?"

Rhea just looked at what was going on around her, she and Bucky hadn't spoken a word. She felt like her world was crashing down again. Hydra was coming back, those people, if you could call them that, were reforming and regrouping and would more than likely hurt more people. She looked at Bucky, his face was pale, he looked totally lost, like the first day she met him. Hydra might have harmed her but they had done worse to Bucky, much worse. "I can't do this," She said quietly.

Steve turned around to her, he saw the fear in his sisters eyes, "You've been going so well in training, we'll be there Rhea." He said to her.

Rhea shook her head, "That's not the point Steve. What Hydra did, to me and to Bucky, its not something we can't just move on from. And those cities…." She trailed off.

Bucky walked over to the maps, he flexed his metal arm and his jaw tightened, then without warning he turned and walked away, he went straight out of the door.

"Bucky!" Rhea called after him.

"What's with the Terminator?" Tony looked from Steve to Rhea.

Rhea went over to the counter top and grabbed her phone and a jacket, "I'm going after him."

Steve blocked her way, "Rhea I don't think you should…"

"Why?" She crossed her arms, "Because you're afraid of what I might do? Because I haven't been 'tested' outside this building? Get out of the way Steve, I've read the file on you, you went straight out there chasing Hydra."

"It isn't the same," Steve tried to reason with her.

She tilted her head, "It isn't? Well I think differently. Move Steve, I need to get our friend, the man that has finally come out of his shell and the only person that has been with me every step of the way for the past two months. Move." Steve didn't budge, Rhea tensed her jaw, she had no choice. She felt the cold drift down her arm, she raised it and sent out two large blasts of ice towards him. They hit him square in the chest, sending him flying backwards. Rhea didn't even take a second to see if Steve was ok, she just bolted for the door.

She stood and looked at the elevator, _that's gonna take too long, _she then turned and then looked down at the stairs. She grinned, then shot ice out of her hand and jumped, she slid down the stairs, banking on the walls, the ice continuously flowing out of her hand. She got to the bottom and stumbled as she ran on to the solid ground. She flew out of the doors then skidded to a halt, _relax Rhea, _she told herself, _remember what Bucky taught you. _She silenced the thoughts that were racing around her head, she let the sounds around her fill her ears. She heard something and her head darted to the left, Bucky was heading back to DC. Rhea turned and began to sprint, kicking up the dust as she ran, feeling her legs power her forward until she was almost a blur.

Steve and Tony ran out of the building and the door slammed behind them. "Damn!" Steve swore as he saw the dust trail that was settling from Rhea.

"You were never going to catch her Cap. Barnes and Rhea are faster, and stronger," Tony said putting his hand on the taller man's shoulder.

"That's not the point Tony," Steve sighed, "Bucky might be regressing, and if he is, Rhea might not be a match for him. We shouldn't' have filled them in on this mission, I should have just gone with Natasha and Sam."

"Steve we didn't know that this was going to happen, both of them have been on the right track for so long," Tony sighed, "JARVIS, get the car around, we need to head to DC."


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Sorry this took so long! Exams and starting a new summer job! Hope you enjoy this one! Let me know what you think! :-D**

* * *

Chapter 10: Again

* * *

Trees flashed past her as Rhea ran towards DC. She skirted around people, hearing the 'hey what hell?' as she bumped past them, but she was doing too fast to say anything to them. Rhea turned towards downtown, she knew that Bucky would be somewhere in DC, but the question was where. Where did he have a connection to? She skidded to a halt right beside the Lincoln Memorial, people turned in shock and jumped as if she'd just appeared out of no where.

She put her hands on her knees and took too long breaths to clear her head. There were so many places he could be and if he headed to New York to some old stomping ground then Rhea wouldn't know where to start.

She decided to run to her apartment, _maybe he headed there to get to talk to me alone, _Rhea thought as she ran. Her building came into view and she shot up the stairs towards her apartment door. She stopped suddenly as she saw her door open, she walked forward slowly and saw that it was hanging off its hinges. _Oh god, _She took a breath and peered around the corner, she released some ice from her hand shaped like a dagger and held it in her hand. Her apartment was in a state, the couches were ripped to pieces, the curtains were in shredded and books were all over the floor. She sighed as she realised that he wasn't there. Rhea turned to leave the apartment and walked slowly down the stairs, "God, where are you Bucky? You can't just up and leave me like that," Rhea said to herself and opened the door back outside to the coolness of the autumn day. Then she remembered, where had she met Bucky first? The museum, he would go there, _And hopefully not assault another pervy vendor, _She shook her head and picked up and run, feeling her legs pump faster.

Within minutes she was at the Smithsonian complex, she skirted past tourists looking at the Washington Monument, then skidded to a halt. A shout broke Rhea's attention, it was coming from the street. She ran over and saw a crowd was gathering by a car, she pushed her way past and saw a man lying on the road. She gulped, _god no_, she thought and pushed past the last few people. The man on the ground began to get to his feet and a bystander went to help him up, suddenly the man grabbed the bystander by the neck, lifting him off the ground. Rhea saw a tear in the shirt and a flash of metal caught her eye.

"Bucky! No!" She called and jumped out in front of crowd.

Bucky turned to look at her, there was something different about his eyes. He stared at her with a dead pan expression. The poor bystander was still dangling from his grip, "Who the hell is Bucky?"

Rhea's heart dropped, "Shite."

Bucky dropped the man and walked over to her, eyes locked on his target. "You. Hydra Weapon Next Generation, you failed to comply with Hydra, I failed to complete my mission. Not now."

Rhea backed away from him, she couldn't let him harm the crowd of people,_ you are a fool Rhea Rogers for leaving Steve behind, _she wanted to kick herself. "Bucky, you're not yourself, just come with me and we can sort this out."

"No, I have to finish what I let begin, finish it for Hydra," He covered the distance between them and raised his left arm.

"I'm really sorry Bucky," Rhea said and stood back in a defensive stance and raised her hands. The cold drifted down her arms, her eyes turned icy blue, and her sallow skin went ghostly white. The transformation made Bucky check himself for a second but that was all the time Rhea needed. Rhea shot out two spears of ice towards him,_ I don't want to hurt you_, she pleaded to herself.

Bucky raised his metal arm and the ice shattered in every direction. He drew two knives out of his pocket, then crossed the distance between them. Rhea needed to think fast, Bucky raised the knife in his right hand. She thought quickly, ice formed around her forehand, it was thick, and as Bucky brought the knife down she raised her arm and blocked him. She flicked her leg and kicked him in the knee causing him to grunt.

She backed off him and raised her voice to the crowd, "Get outta here now, get to a safe area, I have back up coming." _Totally bluffing about the backup, but Bucky doesn't need to know that, _she thought. She watched as the crowd began to run in the opposite direction, Bucky looked at them but his focus went straight back to her.

_OK Rhea, think, you need to get him talking, you need to get him to remember, _Rhea thought as she dodged away from Bucky again. "Bucky, please, it's me, its Rhea," She looked into his eyes, but they were still the glassed over blue.

"'Rhea' doesn't exist, you are the Next Generation and you must be brought in, or ended," He spun the knife on his fingers.

Rhea sighed, _This is not gonna be fun, Steve better show up or I really am dead. _

* * *

"We need to find her Tony," Steve said as he looked out the window scanning the streets for any sign of either Rhea or Bucky.

"I'm doing everything that I can Steve," Tony said as he steered the car in and out of traffic, "JARVIS, scan all media channels and police radio's, try and home in on these two."

"Right away sir," JARVIS said smoothly.

Steve tapped the door of the car, _I shouldn't have let her go, why did I let her get so close to Bucky, I should have stayed home and trained her myself. _

"Cap, you gotta stop tapping the door, you're gonna break it," Tony looked over at him.

Steve stopped, "Sorry Tony, I just shouldn't have left Rhea with Bucky for so long."

"You didn't know that she was going to go after him," Tony glanced over at him.

"I did, its a Rogers' thing, we can't help ourselves," Steve sighed and moved his legs, his shield rolled in the foot well of the car.

"Sorry to interrupt sir," JARVIS spoke, "But I have managed to locate Miss Rogers. She's on Jefferson Drive near the Washington Monument."

Tony hit the breaks on his car and the wheels squealed in protest, he turned the car and the wheels screamed again as he but his foot on the gas, heading back towards Jefferson Drive.

As Tony and Steve got closer they heard the sirens of the police cars and saw people running in the opposite direction, "Well I think we've found where The Ice Queen and The Terminator have gone." Tony said puling the car over on the pavement. Steve jumped out and grabbed his shield, strapping it to his arm. Tony touched a button on his watch and out of the trunk of the car flew his suit, it clicked into place and the armour folded over his clothes.

Steve began to sprint towards the chaos, he saw people shouting, the fear was clear in their eyes. He gulped, _Rhea what have we done? _He rounded the corner and jumped over a police car that was blocking the way. He stopped beside a cop.

"Hey Cap, is that some sorta new Avenger or something?" The cop asked.

Steve looked across the road and his blood went cold. Rhea was fighting for her life against Bucky. "They aren't." He said to the cop, "Stark what's your position?"

Tony answered over the radio, "Yeah Cap I got eyes on them over head. Rhea's holding her own."

"She is but she won't be for long, Bucky taught her so he knows the moves that she's going to use, even if he isn't himself right now." Steve said, trying to maintain composer.

"What made him revert?" Tony asked.

Steve shrugged, "I have no idea. But we need a game plan, we need to get Rhea to safety and we need to get Bucky under control and back to the Stark Industries building."

"Any ideas so?" Tony said, adjusting his flight pattern.

Steve shifted his shield, "I need you in the air while I engage Bucky, I'll give you a signal then I need you to hit him with all you have and get him down, then we can remove him." Steve motioned for the cops to stay and he stepped out.

Rhea leapt in the air and flipped over Bucky's head, shooting ice down at him. He reached up grabbed her leg pulling her to the ground, she landed with a thud on to the hard ground. But she was quick, she put her hands on the ground and let ice leak on to the road and under Bucky's feet. Rhea then swept her leg underneath Bucky causing him to slip on the ice. She put her hands back and flipped up on to her feet again, then caught sight of Steve, "Ah nice of you to join me."

"What happened?" Steve asked as he stood beside her, his shield raised.

"No idea, found him after he was hit by a car, must have triggered something," Rhea shrugged. "But we need to get him home."

Steve nodded, "Working on it."

Bucky stood and looked at them both, he faltered, Rhea took her chance. She shot a blast of ice at his face, he raised his arm and blocked it, but Rhea had another trick. She stamped her foot and ice flowed outwards. Bucky tried to stop her, but as the ice reached his foot it crawled upwards, up his leg, gripping it tightly. Bucky tried to move to kick off the ice, but it just got thicker, like a vice around his feet.

"Stark! Now!" Steve shouted.

Out of the sky Tony flew down and pinned Bucky's arms behind him. Bucky struggled and fought against the armour of the Iron Man suit, but Tony wasn't letting go. Bucky glared over at Rhea, his eyes full of venom and hate. Rhea stepped back, _Why Bucky? Why? _

* * *

Rhea turned in her bed, she couldn't get settled, she saw the look in Bucky's eyes every time she closed her eyes. She sat up in bed and ran her hand through her hair, then she smiled to herself, _If you told yourself five months ago you'd be sitting here you would have told them to get their head checked. _She stood up and pulled on a hoodie. Rhea opened her door and walked down the corridor, she felt the cold titles on her feet and smiled. Something caught her eye, she stopped. In a room to her right there was a person. She turned and peered in, then gulped. Bucky was tied to a chair, his head on his chest. She turned to leave but then he looked up, their eyes met. She looked into those familiar blue eyes, as he stared back at her.

Bucky spoke, "Я должен был убить вас лет назад," _I should have killed you years ago. _


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, having major writer's block, so any suggestions would be welcomed! Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 11: Blue

* * *

"And here are the scenes that unfolded yesterday on Jefferson Drive. Bystanders filmed it on their cell phones, after the event we managed to talk to a few of them. 'It was unreal man, like this guy just got hit by a car then started attacking people, and then this hot chick appeared and started beating the crap outta him', 'Yeah, that girl, damn, she was amazing. The Ice, she was…. she was like an Arctic blizzard man.' Well folks you heard it from them, who is this new Arctic Blizzard?" The News anchor asked into the camera.

Rhea crossed her arms, "Really?" She sighed.

"What?" Tony asked walking into the lab, he looked noticeably tired.

"The media talking about all this like it's some spectacle," She gestured at the TV.

Tony put down his coffee mug that he had been cradling, "Well it is to them kid." He peered at the TV, "The Arctic Blizzard? Is that what they're calling you?" He asked with a slight smirk on his face.

"Yes," She scowled.

Tony burst out laughing, "I'm sorry but that is hilarious!"

She crossed her arms, "Well I'm hardly going to ring in and say 'Actually my name is Rhea Rogers, I'm a clone of Captain America', that would not go down well."

Tony took a gulp of his coffee, "Yeah true, that would sink like a brick, but I mean you're out there now. You're gonna have to think of something to call yourself." He turned away from her and began to start running over data that had come in from the readings taken from Bucky during the night.

Rhea lent against one of the desks, _Stark's right I have to think of something. _She began to play with ideas, but nothing sounded right in her head, she sighed giving up flicking some lint off her sweater. She looked over to the door that lead into Bucky. Steve and Natasha had been in there for hours trying to get through to him but nothing had worked. The door opened and Rhea saw the pain in Steve's eyes.

"Anything?" Tony asked them.

Natasha shook her head, "Nothing, he hasn't even spoken a word, he's just stared at the door the entire time."

Steve slumped down on a chair, "I have no idea what we're going to do, he just isn't the same person anymore." Rhea walked over and put a comforting hand on her brother's shoulder, she knew how much this killed him inside, having his friend taken away again after only a few months together.

"I'll go and try," Rhea suddenly spoke.

Natasha turned to her, "You can't be serious?"

Rhea nodded, "Completely."

"Rhea you are the one he wants to kill, there is no way that you're going in there with him," Natasha shook her head.

"Nat, I'm going in, whether you all like it or not," Rhea walked past them towards the door into Bucky's cell. She paused before reaching for the handle, then shook the thoughts out of her head and walked in.

Bucky looked up at her as she walked in, "рады видеть Вас," He smiled at her, _glad to see you. _

Rhea shut the door, "English please, my Russian is a little rusty."

"But it didn't take you long to learn it? Built in to your DNA I think to learn things quickly," Buck smirked at her.

Rhea schooled her features into a neutral position, "So, I'm your mission?" She changed the subject.

"Yes you are, I failed the last time, let my heart get through and rule my head, rule my mission for Hydra," Bucky moved against his bonds.

Rhea paced back and forth in front of him, "You realise that Hydra has fallen, it is no more."

"Hydra can never fall," Bucky glared at her.

Rhea sighed, _This isn't going anywhere, _"Bucky," She said quietly, "Do you not remember me? Remember where you met me?" She looked at him.

"Who is Bucky? I am The Winter Soldier," He grimaced.

"No you're not. You're James Barnes, Bucky. Steve Roger's best friend, and mine too," She looked at him.

Bucky stared at her, it was almost like his eyes were boring down into her soul, "You need to stop saying that name," He shook his head.

Rhea crossed her arms, "I won't, and I will keep saying it until you realise that you are someone that means a lot to me…" She trailed off, _Rhea stop, _She scolded herself, _Get a grip. _

Bucky immediately picked up what she'd said, "Means a lot to you? Now that is interesting."

"Shut up," Her eyes flared ice Blue.

"Blue, very blue," Bucky said almost to himself, then looked up at Rhea, "Alexander Pierce, the leader of the Hydra movement gave me orders too…"

"Pierce is dead Bucky, he's been dead for over nine months. You don't remember what happened on the Helicarrier over the Potomac?" Rhea looked at him, trying to see a flicker of recognition in his eyes.

Bucky blinked, images flashed around his head; there was a man in blue, he fell, Bucky took him out of the river. Then the images darted forward, there was a girl, she was tall, she was looking at something in a museum, then she was shouting something at him for helping her. Suddenly she was in a chair, her eyes were going blue and she was freezing. Bucky shouted and shook his head, he looked up, the girl, the girl was standing there.

"Oh my god, are you ok?" She looked at him, "Bucky?"

He knew that voice, her face, her blue eyes full of concern. He blinked and looked up at her, "Rhea?"

She nodded slowly, "That's right, and where did you meet me?"

He bit his lip and his eyebrows knotted together in frustration, "At the museum, but before, I remember a green field, you were younger….."

Rhea exhaled, _was he lying, he had been taught to lie like a pro for Hydra, _"Well I'm glad to see that you could be remembering something." She turned on her heel and without a word left the room.

Rhea walked out and looked at the group in front of her. Steve looked shocked, Natasha was glaring at her and Tony looked impressed.

"Nice work kid," Tony patted her on the shoulder.

"Well Bucky's back then," Steve looked relieved.

Rhea shook her head, "No, we need to be sure."

"What could be more sure than that?" Steve gestured towards the door of the cell.

"He could be lying. Hydra taught him to lie and to manipulate people, and we can't fall for that, we need more evidence," Rhea said, giving Steve a look. Her brother was too quick to trust people.

Natasha nodded, "Good call. Rhea's right Steve, we need to learn more."

Steve sighed and looked at his sister, she had changed so much in the past few months. She had gotten stronger and wiser, her trust level had dipped but given the bomb shell she had been dealt with he couldn't blame her. Obviously Bucky taught her well, but they didn't know the extent of her powers yet, and as much as Steve wanted to help her and Bucky he knew that he had to trust Rhea. "I understand." He nodded to them.

Rhea rubbed her temples with her fingers, her head hurt, her arms hurt, her legs hurt, everything hurt.

"You alright Rhea?" Tony asked her.

She took a deep breath, "Yeah fine, just tired and sore from fighting." She shook herself, "I'll try and talk to Bucky again later on, see if I can get more information from him."

Rhea slummed down on the floor against the wall, she closed her eyes and tried to get some rest, but seconds later her eyes were open again.

"I know how you feel sis," Steve said, she looked up as he sat down beside her.

"I don't know what I'm going to do Steve. Bucky might be back to normal, but if he isn't then we're all in danger," She sighed.

Steve lifted his arm and pulled her to him so she rested her head on his shoulder, "I know, when we were in the Howling Commandos we had to make some tough decisions, ones that I lay awake about for days. But they were for the best in the end, you have to trust yourself." He shifted his weight, "Look Rhea, the thing with Hydra in Moscow isn't going away, so me and Nat are going to have to head out, you'll be fine here with Tony."

Rhea looked up at him, "You're going? But you'll need help."

Steve smiled, "I've been in this game along time, we'll be fine. Trust me." He held her tiger. Even though Rhea knew Steve would be fine, she was worried. She worried about Bucky, she worried about Steve, but most of all she worried about the growing power she could feel inside her.


	12. Chapter 12

**Authors Note: Sorry this took so long, had MAJOR writers block! Hopefully back on track now. Enjoy and review! **

* * *

Chapter 12: I'm Blue

* * *

Rhea sat in her room, she tried to sleep but no position she got into was comfortable. She sighed and sat up and ran her hands over her face and through her hair. _I have to, I need to see, _She said to herself and stood up. She pulled on a hoody and a pair of converse and padded over to the door. "JARVIS, where is everyone?" She asked quietly.

"Mr. Stark is asleep, Captain Rogers has departed with Agent Romanof and Doctor Banner and Director Fury are not in the building," JARVIS spoke to her.

Rhea nodded, "Thanks," She slipped out of her room and walked down the corridor to the lab.

A blast of cold air hit her when she opened the door, but she didn't flinch. The lab looked different in the dark, some machines hummed and a few lights dotted the room giving it a strange glow. Rhea looked over to the door on the far side, Bucky was there. She quietly made her way across the room and peered into the window of the door. Bucky's head was hanging down, his chest was rising and falling, he looked so peaceful. _Will I? _She thought to herself. She tensed her jaw and put her hand on the handle of the door, opening it slowly. The hinges creaked as she walked in, Bucky's head shot up as he looked to see who was coming in. Rhea paused at the door way, she waited for him to speak, she wanted to see what he would say.

Bucky stared at her, the girl with the icy blue eyes, "What time is it?" He asked her.

Rhea closed the door, "I don't know, about one in the morning I think."

Bucky sighed, "When can I get out of here?"

Rhea crossed her arms, "Have you no idea what you did Bucky?"

"Which time?" He said, his eyes locking with hers.

Rhea stopped, she forgot all the times that he had killed. Over the last few months she had gotten to know the happier and more confident Bucky, the one that Steve knew back in the day. But Rhea forgot about the large chapter of his life that she was missing, even though it hung over both of their heads like a dark cloud. Rhea took a breath, "Just yesterday in DC, when you tried to kill me."

The reaction that Bucky gave her made her heart give a jump. Bucky looked up at her, the shock clear across his face, "No… I…..What happened?"

"Well you spooked when Tony was filling us in about a mission, and you took off to the city. I found you after you were hit by a car, but you'd changed, you were the Winter Soldier again. You were trying to attack civilians, I had to step in and you turned on me." Rhea said looking at her feet.

Bucky looked at her, "I tried to kill you?" He moved against his bonds, "Rhea, I'm so sorry….. I wasn't me, you know I could never hurt you….. I care too much….." He stopped.

Rhea looked down at him in the chair, then she walked over, she put her hand on his metal one, he closed his fingers around hers, she didn't flinch at the coldness of the metal. She reached for one of the straps that was across his chest undoing the buckle. She then open the strap holding down his right arm. _One more strap, _She thought and gulped. The left one was taken off and she stepped back, she could have made a huge mistake, if Bucky was faking what he was saying to her she might have just signed her death warrant.

Rhea stood back, she braced herself and felt the ice trickle down her fingers. Bucky stood up and wavered slightly on his feet. He turned and looked at Rhea, she gulped, _What have I done, _she asked herself. Bucky took a step towards her, then before Rhea could react he wrapped her in a hug. She felt his arms wrap around her body holding him to her. Rhea tensed as she felt the metal of his arm against her cheek, she braced herself for an attack, letting the icy feeling flow over her body. "I'm so sorry Rhea, I wasn't myself…. I…. I would never forgive myself.." He said, Rhea heard the hurt in his voice. She let her body relax slightly, she felt Bucky rest his head on her shoulder, a chill went down her spine.

She coughed and moved slightly in his grip, "Eh…. Bucky?"

"Oh, sorry," He stepped back.

Rhea brushed herself down, and looked at Bucky. His eyes had changed, there was that light back that she knew, and his stance was more relaxed, not the solider-to-attention stance that he had as the Winter Soldier. She exhaled. "Well we seem to have you back."

Bucky nodded slowly, "Yes, my head feels clearer."

Rhea smiled at him, "I'm glad to have you back Buck. But we need to be careful, we know now that you can regress and regress badly."

Bucky hung his head, "I have no memory of what happened after I ran out of the building." He looked at her in fear.

She reached out and took his hand, "I'll never let it happen again, I swear. On the plus side I was able to hold my own against you and take you down with a bit of help, so your training is paying off." She grinned at him. "Come on, lets get you out of this cell."

He followed her out of the cell and across the lab. They padded down the corridor and she opened the door to her room. Bucky sighed, it was warm and cosy, Rhea had really made it her own, painting the walls and adding all sorts from her own apartment back in the city. Rhea turned and looked at him. "You ok?"

He nodded, "Fine, totally fine." He looked at the concern written across her face. At times she was so like Steve, her manner and her attitude, but then she would do something that was so Rhea it almost made him laugh. She stood there in front of him, her golden hair flowed far past her shoulders and her eyes that forever blue. He could see her perfect figure under her loose t-shirt and shorts. Bucky shook his head, _get that idea out of your head Barnes, _he said to himself.

Rhea broke his thoughts, "Well there isn't anywhere for you to sleep, unless you want to go back to that chair?" Bucky shook his head, "Didn't think so," She turned and sat down on her bed, "So until we can get your old room open, you're gonna have to bunk with me."

Bucky stared at her, "Are you serious?"

"Did I stutter?" Rhea raised an eye brow.

Bucky turned on the bed trying his best not to disturb Rhea. He looked at the sleeping figure next to him, _why does she trust me, I just tried to kill her, twice, _Bucky stared at her. He ran over the past few hours in his mind, trying to piece it back together, but nothing was coming. He sighed and sat up, if Steve caught him in here there would be war. Steve loved Rhea and Bucky remembered she did go on a date a month ago and Steve was staring the poor guy out of it as he opened the door of the car for Rhea, Bucky remembered grinning at the guy, having Captain America tell you to be good to his sister is one order that you don't disobey. He shifted his weight and went to put his hands on his lap, he recoiled inside as the metal touched his right hand, then he let his left arm fall down by his side.

Rhea stirred in her sleep, she blinked her eyes and looked up at Bucky. He looked worried, his eye brows knitted together on his handsome face, his hair hung and covered his features, "You ok?" She asked.

Bucky jumped, "Jesus! You're awake?"

"Yeah, I am, you've been jumping around. Why aren't you asleep?" Rhea looked up at him.

"I can't, bad things happen when I sleep," Bucky put his head in his hands.

"Bad things?" Rhea shifted herself up on to her elbow.

Bucky looked down at her, "I dream."

Rhea nodded, "Well we need to make an appearance tomorrow, show off that Bucky is back." She shifted her position, then padded the bed, "Come on, lie down." She glared at him, "Now."

Bucky grinned slightly and slid down in the bed and turned so he was face to face with Rhea, "Ok I'm lying down."

Rhea rolled her eyes, "Ok close your eyes," Bucky snapped them shut. "Breathe slowly," She thought back to when she was little and she couldn't sleep her mother used to tell her stories, "So Long ago when Fionn mac Cumhaill was young he went to live with a very wise man named Finnegas. Finnegas was a poet who lived on the banks of the river Boyne, this place was the centre of all Irish knowledge. Fionn loved to listen to the old man stories and learned a great deal from him…" Rhea spoke to him in a quiet soothing voice. Bucky closed his eyes and listened to her voice until all he heard was silence.

Rhea rolled over in the bed and jumped, "Jesus!" She exclaimed and leapt backwards straight off the bed and landed heavily on the floor.

Bucky looked over the edge of the bed, "You ok?"

Rhea rubbed her head and looked up, "Yeah, ow, forgot you were here."

Bucky snorted with laughter, "The look on your face was priceless."

Rhea pulled herself up on to her feet, "Glad you found it amusing." She suddenly realised that her hair was all over the place, she quickly went to fix it giving Bucky an apologetic grin.

"What's that for?" He asked, sitting up, "You look fine." He gave her a cheeky grin.

"Watch it Barnes," She raised her eye brows, trying to hide a flutter in her stomach, "Get up, we gotta see where everyone else is."

Rhea pulled on a hoodie, a reflection caught her eye in the mirror on the wall. She looked and gulped slightly, Bucky had taken off his shirt to switch into the one that Rhea had grabbed for him. She ran her eyes up his waist, it was littered with scars and she almost winced when she saw how the arm was fitted on to his shoulder. _How can someone do that to someone else? _She asked herself. But beyond all the scars and the pain, for someone that was ninety-six he was looking pretty well. Stop it_ Rhea, _She scolded herself.

"Ready?" She turned to him.

Bucky spun on his heel, "Yup." He mock saluted.

"Don't be cheeky," She glared.

Rhea opened the door to the lab to a sight. Tony and Bruce were running around the lab panicking.

"Crap, he's gone, we're all screwed!" Tony ran his hands through it hair.

Bruce was almost shaking with a slight green tinge to his face, "Where could he possibly go? There was no alarm sounded last night, we would have heard."

"Sir? Sir? If I could just?" JARVIS said.

"Not now!" Tony snapped.

"But sir?" JARVIS tried again .

Rhea bit her lip and tried to hold back a grin, she walked through the door, "Eh guys, whats going on?"

"Barnes, he's missing," Tony looked over at her. Then his face dropped.

"I'm right here," Bucky said and strolled through the door behind Rhea.

"What the actual hell?" Bruce asked, the green tinge leaving his face. "Where were you?"

Rhea cut in, "I made a break through with him last night, so I think we're back on track."

Tony looked exasperated, "And you didn't feel the need to tell us?"

"Well I was trying to tell you sir," JARVIS said, Rhea nodded.

Rhea and Bucky walked over to the other two men, "Have Steve and Nat gone?" Rhea asked.

Tony nodded, "Yes, they've gone to Moscow, but the mission in Dublin is still needing attention and we need to act quickly otherwise they will be tipped off when Nat and Steve hit Moscow. So are you both ready? We don't have a flight risk from you Barnes?"

Bucky shook his head, "No I should be fine." He glanced over at Rhea and gave her a look, "Rhea can knock me back into shape if not."

Tony smiled, "Ok then." He switched on a screen with a map of Ireland, "So we need to be careful on this mission, as you know Rhea, Dublin is a pretty small city, population of about 1.1 million, and a total population in Ireland of approximately 4.5 million, so information spreads quickly. You will need to take extra care once you land, any slip up could be devastating. So are you ready?"

Rhea nodded, "I think so."

Tony smiled, "Well JARVIS, get the transport ready for the Winter Soldier and Arctic Blue."


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Hi all, so we've landed in Dublin, hope you enjoy! Would LOVE some feed back, so please please please review! **

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Chapter 13: Fáite go hÉireann

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Bucky tugged on his jacket sleeve as he left the plane, making sure that people didn't get a glimpse of metal. Rhea was a few paces ahead of him towing her hand luggage behind her, and was rooting in her hand bag for her passport. They made their way from the gate to immigration and customs Bucky began to feel nervous. Rhea looked behind and saw Bucky's face, she slowed her pace and fell into step with him.

"You ok?" She asked.

"Yeah just haven't flown commercial, well ever actually," He grinned down at her.

She raised her eye brows, "Well actually now that you say it, it makes sense I suppose." She thought back to him going over to Europe back in the 1940s in an American Airforce plane, then with HYDRA he would have travelled in their own planes. She looked up as she saw the line for immigration, there were two lines, one for European citizens and the other for everywhere else. She opted to stay with Bucky, just incase.

They stood in the line and it moved fairly quickly, soon they were at the top. The immigration officer beckoned Bucky forward. Rhea watched and listened.

"Good morning," The officer said and took Bucky's passport.

"Morning," Bucky smiled.

"John Wayne?" He asked, Bucky nodded, "Where you from?"

"New York, but travelled in from DC," Bucky answered, Rhea could see he was getting tense. She had to make a call.

"Honey!" She called in an overly cheery voice and walked over with her passport in hand. "Hi, sorry, he gets all flustered sometimes." She smiled at the officer and took Bucky's arm and handed her passport over.

The officer looked at her and then her passport, "Well welcome home," He smiled at her, "But shouldn't you be in the other line Miss Quinn?" He handed her back her Irish passport.

"Yeah I should, but he's a nervous flyer, never really done this before, so I thought I'd stay with him, hope that's ok?" She batted her eye lids.

"Of course, you two here on vacation?" The officers tone softened.

Rhea nodded, "In a away, I'm here to see family and its his first time meeting them all." She rolled her eyes in mock stress.

The officer grinned, "Well I hope he's used to dealing with Irish people! You'll be in for a shock lad." He grinned at Bucky, "Well you two enjoy your stay." He handed back their passports and waved them on.

Bucky and Rhea grabbed their things and headed towards baggage reclaim. Bucky rounded on Rhea, "What the hell was that? 'Oh I'm so sweet and cute and I flirt with everything'," He asked in a mocking high voice,

Rhea rolled her eyes and elbowed him, "I had to jump in, you looked like you were about to implode so I had to step in, and that was all I could think off."

"Наташа учит вас слишком хорошо," Bucky rolled his eyes, _Natasha is teaching you too well. _

Rhea laughed, "Go bhfuil sí," _That she is, _"Back at ya in Irish buddy." She grinned.

They found their way out of the airport and waiting for them in the car park was a jet black SUV, "Nice one, Fury didn't let us down." Rhea grinned and hopped in the drivers seat. She opened the arm rest and gasped, "Holy crap! Look!" Bucky peered over her and saw a arsenal of guns and ammunition. He lifted a compartment in the boot of the car to reveal more weapons.

"Well we're equipped anyway," He said closing the door.

"Come on get in," Rhea called him and turned the engine on.

"Hello Miss Rogers, welcome back," JARVIS's cool voice greeted her.

"Hi, thought we'd be on our own," She grinned backing the car out of the spot.

"I would never leave you," JARVIS answered, "And how are you Sergeant Barnes?"

"I'm good JARVIS, thanks," Bucky said adjusting his seat, "Now where are we going?"

"Well Mr. Stark has an apartment for you in the docklands, I'm getting the GPS for you," JARVIS said.

"Don't bother pal, I know where to do, just give me the building number," Rhea said turning on to the motorway that would take them to the city. Bucky looked over at her, "What?" She shrugged, "It's my city."

Bucky watched as Dublin came into view. It was a strange city, not the towering sky scrapers of New York that he was used to, rather low buildings not one more than ten stories, different styles of buildings, Gothic, Neo Classical, Modern. He listened as Rhea chatted about the history of the city, the Vikings, the British, the Irish, modern day. The rivalry between the Northside and the Southside of the city, divided by the River Liffey, she explained that the Southside was a little more posh then the Northside and each side spoke differently. Bucky heard her laugh at the pure ridiculousness of the whole story. She turned down the bank of the Liffey and past a Neoclassical Building called the Customs House and then the docklands were ahead of them.

"The third apartment block on the left Miss Rogers," JARVIS cut in.

Rhea turned the car and drove into the under ground car park. Once she found and spot Bucky grabbed the bags from the back of the car and she walked to the elevator.

The apartment was to die for, views around the city and it was finished to the highest degree, "Wow this place is amazing!" Rhea looked around and peered down the corridors.

Bucky dropped the bags, "Yeah, pretty sweet."

Rhea looked at him, "Sweet? When did you start talking all 21st Century?" Bucky rolled his eyes and threw a pillow at her, Rhea reacted by shooting ice and freezing it solid, then sticking her tongue out at him. Rhea wandered over to the kitchen and opened the doors of the fridge, "Yum." She grinned, then noticed an envelope on the counter top. She reached and opened it, "Ah I see we have our assignments." She waved the files at Bucky, he walked over and stood behind her, looking over her shoulder. Rhea's breath hitched at his closeness but she shook off the feeling and continued, "So Hans Adler and Klaus Fried, HYDRA agents, pretty high up by the looks of things too. They are working with the others in Moscow. Both are scientists."

"Yeah they are," Bucky said glaring at the photos, he moved slightly closer to Rhea, almost trying to shield her.

She looked around at him, "Do you know them?"

He nodded, "Yes, they were part of the team that handled me, and well, made you."

Rhea tensed, _oh my god, _she felt panic rise in her throat, she dropped the file and backed up into Bucky's chest, "They did this? They are the ones that created me? Created us?"

Bucky nodded, and impulsively rested his chin against the back of her head, "We can do this Rhea, they aren't men, they are monsters, beasts even. Together we can take them out, show them that no matter what they did to us or wanted us to do, HYDRA cannot and will not win." He tensed his metal arm.

Rhea nodded, her heart still beating a little fast, "You're right," She narrowed her eyes and Bucky felt her whole body go ice cold. Bucky smiled to himself, HYDRA was going to get the fright of their lives when Arctic Blue came knocking on their door.

Rhea turned in her bed, tomorrow it was the start of the mission. She was in a place that she never thought that she would be in again, she was home, back in Dublin. It was a place that she knew better then her own name, the hours spent wandering the streets, she knew everywhere. She thought back to her childhood, catching the bus into town with Jesse, _Oh Jesse, _Rhea sighed. She hadn't really kept in contact with him since she moved to DC. A wave of guilt hit her, she felt like a really bad friend, she should have made more of an effort.

Bucky woke up to a clatter in the kitchen. He pulled on a shirt and walked out of his room. "What are you doing?" He asked running his hand through his long hair.

Rhea looked up, "Making breakfast, thought we could use some food before we go out and start hunting HYDRA."

Bucky laughed, this mission was going to be very different to any of the other ones he had done in the past. He took a seat and Rhea gave him a cup of coffee and some toast. Bucky looked up at her over the brim of his cup, she was in a loose t-shirt and shorts, her hair fell loose over her shoulders. He coughed as the coffee went down is throat, _Jesus Buck, she's Steve's sister, you can't think like that about her, even if she is pretty damn fine. _He ran his eyes down her body.

Rhea turned to face Bucky and smiled as he ate his toast, "So we need to get some recon on what Fried and Adler are doing and where they are. But from the intel that SHIELD and JARVIS have managed to get, I have a feeling I know where they are." She turned towards her bedroom to grab her uniform, "JARVIS get the SUV ready," She looked back at Buck, "Well suit up Winter Soldier."


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: Ok guys, so things are starting to move forward for Bucky and Rhea, so let me know what you think! Thanks! **

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_Chapter 14: Enemies and Friends _

* * *

Rhea drove for about an hour outside town, she focused on the road while Bucky prepared the weapons. Rhea caught him glancing at her from time to time, "Listen Buck," Rhea said breaking the silence, he turned to look at her, "The gun culture in Ireland isn't like the gun culture in America, guns are illegal here, so we have to go about this carefully."

Bucky nodded, "I get it, we can use the smaller guns rather then the large machine ones. And you have to be careful not to go all Ice Queen on me." He grinned at her.

She reached over and gave him a playful shove, "Watch it or I'll freeze your arm."

Soon they were in a town out side the city centre, Rhea drove and parked, "So what I've heard and read there are basements under this building the the building developer didn't want people to know about, it was a whole brown envelope with the government I think, but basically there is enough room to have a HYDRA base."

Bucky nodded, "Ok so where is this building?"

Rhea pointed, "There," Bucky followed her finger to the large infrastructure before them.

"A shopping mall? Seriously?" Bucky looked at her.

Rhea shrugged, "Well no one is going to look here, and there has been high energy output and input from this building that is uncharacteristic, so everything points to here." She pocketed two small guns and put them in the back of her pants. "So you ready?"

Bucky followed Rhea into the shopping mall, it was quiet big but Bucky knew that there would be cameras everywhere. People were laughing and smiling holding shopping bags, others were enjoying the restaurants and sitting on the grass, just going about their daily lives, enjoying the summer sunshine not knowing that below them was a base that was harbouring some of the most evil men in history.

Once they were inside Rhea looked at a map of the building, "Ok we need to head this way and then down towards the basement, should be fine." Rhea smiled up at him.

"Easier said then done," Bucky sighed.

They walked to the stairwell and made their way down, Rhea's heart began to beat, _This is too easy, _she thought. Bucky was in front of her, he had gone totally quiet, the Winter Soldier was taking over. The dark stairwell soon became a long corridor, Rhea's heart beated faster, she felt the cold trickle down her arms to her hands. She jogged to catch up with Bucky so she was just behind him. The door at the end of the corridor had a light shining through it.

"Come on," Bucky whispered to her. She nodded and followed.

"We were wondering when you two would appear," A male accented voice greeted them. Rhea jumped and saw an older man standing at the far side of the room, he had greying blonde hair and blue eyes, it was Hans Alder, the man that created her. "Ah so good to see you Soldier and Next Generation, perfection, both of you."

"That's not what I remember," Bucky hissed at him, "You ordered me to kill her, she wasn't what you wanted."

"But look what she has amounted to," Klaus Fried appeared from the other side of the lab, "We were wrong, and we freely admit it. Your initial tests did not show us what you have become." He stared at her making Rhea feel uncomfortable.

"You will never own me, you are sick monsters, all of you, all of HYDRA. What you did to me, what you did to Bucky? You are sick dogs, and frankly, you deserve to be put down," She flicked her fingers and ice shot from them in pointed bullets.

Bucky looked over at her, her eyes were that flaming, ice cold blue, her skin had gone pale, she was Arctic Blue. He smiled, and took out his gun and flexed his metal arm. There was some poetic justice in the both of them about to take out some of the last of the HYDRA agents.

"What is this?" Alder looked Rhea up and down, "You're pale."

Rhea grinned at him, "I'm more then you thought, my DNA changed and this happened, I became Arctic Blue." For effect she shot a blast of ice at the wall.

Both men jumped back. Bucky grinned and didn't flinch, he was proud of Rhea, she was taking the lead. "So gentlemen, you have two options; die here, or come back to SHIELD with us and more than likely die there."

"Soldier, are you not thankful for what we made you into," Fried asked with a shocked look on his face.

Rhea saw darkness fall over Bucky's features, he stepped forward. "Thankful? Thankful?" He shouted, "How on Earth would you think that I would be thankful for what you did to me? You ruined my life! I can never have a normal life now ever! I am in the wrong time, the wrong era, and everyone knows who I am and what I've done! I spend every day being judged by people, people I've saved. I can never have a family, a normal life and leave behind my past," He raised his metal arm, "I will only rest when I see all of HYDRA burn." He looked over at Rhea and nodded, game on.

Rhea shot two blasts of ice straight at the two men, as they ran for cover. "Jetzt!" Adler shouted.

Rhea looked up, "Bucky!" She screamed, "Down!" She shot a shield of ice towards him as sniper bullets rained down on them. They ricocheted off the ice, but it wasn't going to hold. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Fried trying to slop away, this was her moment. She turned and pulled a gun from the back of her pants, she took a breath, aimed and fired. The shoot rang throughout the lab, and she watched as it went straight into his heart. Rhea felt herself smile as she watch Fried fall to the ground, he looked straight at her, almost with an expression of shock that his own creation would turn on him. _I'm free you bastard, _she said to herself. Then turned and headed for the door as fast as she could.

She caught up with Bucky as they ran back up the stairs. "Where were you?" He asked.

"I got Fried, he's dead," She looked at him.

Bucky grinned at her, "Good job, I managed to get Adler, took me a couple of shots, I'm loosing my touch. Now pull off your hoody and try and change your look, we need to loose the goons that are gonna be hot on our heels."

They made it back up into the mall and skidded to a halt, Rhea pulled Bucky back, "We can't run, we need to get away but get away slowly."

Bucky nodded and looked around, he saw a few people in suits that looked out of place. He followed Rhea, she knew the shopping mall, "Ok we have two in the front, two behind and then two up top."

Rhea took his arm, "Put your arm around me and laugh at something I said."

"What?" Bucky asked.

"Just do it," Rhea ordered as two of the henchmen were walking towards them.

Bucky wrapped his metal arm around her and leant down to her and laughed, the two henchmen walked past them. Rhea smiled, "Good job, now we need to get to the next floor up and try and loose them before we leave."

They made it up to the next floor, and walked towards the other escalators at the other end of the mall. Bucky looked behind them and didn't see anyone. Rhea lead the way through the crowd and pushed on to the escalator. Bucky stood just behind her. Rhea looked around, _oh crap, _she looked down at the other escalator that was coming towards them, there was one of the HYDRA agents, a thought came to her head, it was insane, but it might work.

She turned to Bucky, "Kiss me."

"What?!" He asked, then spotted the agent.

"Public displays of affection make people uncomfortable, especially in Ireland," Rhea said quickly,

"Yes, they do," Bucky looked at her in shock. Rhea was running out of time, the agent was going to make them. She made a decision. She reached up and took Bucky's cheek and pulled him down to her. Their lips met, she felt his stubble on his face but his lips were surprisingly soft. She felt his hand find the small of her back and she put her hand behind his neck. They reached the end of the escalator and she broke away, "Still uncomfortable?" She asked.

"Not quite the word I would use," He said and coughed, following her out to the car.

Rhea opened the door to the apartment and waited for Bucky to follow her in. She dumped her gun on the chair and collapsed on the couch. She looked up at Bucky, he was standing awkwardly in the room. "Eh Buck, you ok?" She asked.

Bucky looked at her, "Yeah fine. Sorry, just thinking." What he didn't want to say was that he was thinking about the fact that she kissed him not ten minutes ago. He thought about her lips on his, how it felt oddly right. It was one thing that he missed, someone else's touch on his skin. He had been pushing people away for so long ever since he recovered, but he saw how Steve was with Natasha and it made him jealous, how could his best friend move on from the past so easily? Part of him wanted to be angry at Steve for moving on with his life but the other half wanted what he had. He shook his head, Rhea was over 70 years younger than him and Steve's sister, he was barking up the wrong tree.

Rhea stood up, she could see the cogs turning in Bucky's head, she walked forward and took his hands, "You're not ok. What's wrong?" But before Bucky could answer the phone rang. Rhea let his hands go and went over to pick it up.

"Hi kid. So what's the 4-1-1?" Tony's voice rang clear.

"Mission complete, both Adler and Fried are dead. How are Steve and Nat?" Rhea asked.

"They are on their way home, their mission went to plan." Tony said to her, "But as we know, Hydra are famous for rearing their ugly heads. But I'll have transport for you both tomorrow afternoon, I'll send a plane, no need to travel commercial again." Rhea could hear the slight amusement in Tony's voice.

Rhea hung the phone and turned to Bucky, "Tony is sending a plane tomorrow, so we have time to kill." She smiled.

Bucky looked her, "We're not going home on a commercial flight?"

Rhea laughed, it was that laugh that made Bucky feel warm inside, "No Buck, he's sending a jet to come and get us, but its in use with Steve and Natasha heading home from Moscow, so once it's dropped them home we're being picked up." Bucky nodded and walked over to the window.

"Sergent Barnes, Miss Rogers." JARVIS spoke up making them both jump, "Mr. Stark wanted me to inform you that you will be brought to the Avenger's Tower in New York, you will be based there for now. All of your belongings have been moved."

Rhea nodded, "Thanks JARVIS." She sighed, _Ugh moving again, _she stood up.

"The Avenger's Tower?" Bucky asked her.

"Yeah it was called Stark Tower but after the whole alien thing a few summers ago Tony changed it, Fury wasn't too happy but Tony will do what he wants," Rhea shrugged, then a thought hit her, "Buck, would you mind if I popped out for a few?" She made for the door.

"What? Why?" Bucky asked and blocked her way slightly.

Rhea looked up at him, "Its just, well, before I left I had this friend Jesse. He was my best friend ever since I was a kid. And well I sorta left on bad terms with him, after my Mom's funeral I just up and left to DC. So I want to talk to him, clear the air." She went to grab the keys to the SUV.

"I'm going with you then," Bucky took his couch off the chair and pulled it on.

Rhea spun on her heel, "Eh no, you're not."

Bucky raised his eyebrows, "We've just shot too of the highest members in Hydra and their minions are swarming around Dublin looking for us and you want to walk out on your own and visit a civilians house? Steve would have my head if something happened to you."

Rhea sighed, "Fine, but you aren't to say a word." She turned and headed towards the door, "You could totally take Steve by the way."

Bucky and Rhea sat in silence as they drove out of the city centre and along the coast. Bucky watch Rhea's expression change as she drove, the tension left her shoulders and her feature's softened. She was looking at her home, the place she knew best.

"There it is," Rhea said quietly. Bucky looked up as a peninsula came into view. Its hills rolling upwards, yellow and purple and green fields littered in between. Cliffs dropped down on a blue sea and sea gulls flew in the sky. "Howth."

"So this is where you grew up? Looks like a pretty good place." Bucky smiled at her.

Rhea nodded, "Yeah it was, open spaces, woods, the sea. Total independence." She turned to Bucky, _he didn't remember, _"You've been here before though Bucky."

Bucky looked over at her, "When? Oh…" He trailed off, "When you were fifteen."

Rhea saw the hurt in his face and reached over and took his hand in hers, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."

Bucky squeezed her hand and held it to his chest, "It just kills me a little every time I think about the past, that I tried to hurt you." Rhea looked at him and smiled gently.

* * *

"Ok, here we are," Rhea said pulling the SUV over beside a house in the housing estate that they drove into. Rhea got out of the car and pulled on her jacket, she shivered, not because of the cold, but because of her nerves. She looked at the familiar cookie-cutter houses and noticed that the person that bought her family home had painted it. She stopped when she saw Jesse's front door, _Maybe this wasn't the best idea. _

"You getting cold feet now?" Bucky walked up behind her.

She backed into his chest, his presence was comforting, "I'm not sure. I want to see him, but what if he's seen the news?"

"That shouldn't matter to him if he is a true friend," Bucky said, his lips grazing her hair.

Rhea nodded, then walked purposefully over to the front door and rang the bell, _no going back now_. She waited, and heard footsteps on the wood floors inside. She gulped, the latch on the door was opened, and the door swung in on its hinges. There standing before her was Jesse, he hadn't changed all that much in five years, he was still a little shorter than her, dark hair and his green eyes were wide in shock.

"Rhea!" He said, his mouth opened slightly.

"Hi Jesse," She gave a small sheepish wave.

Jesse clocked Bucky standing behind her and frowned slightly before turning his attention back to her, "Come in."

Rhea walked past her friend and beckoned for Bucky to come too. Bucky walked past Jesse and had to go sideways to get past him in the door way. Rhea lead the way down to the kitchen, it hadn't changed one bit. She took a seat at the table and Bucky said opposite. Jesse went over to the kettle and began to boil it without even asking if someone wanted tea. But there was something in his body language that was off.

"Listen, Jesse, I'm sorry for the way I left things, I shouldn't have just up and left the country," She looked at her old friend.

Jesse still had his back to her, picking his words, "Rhea, ní raibh sé mar gheall ar fhág tú," _It wasn't because you left, _"Méid atá feicthe agam ar an teilifís, a bhfuil déanta agat?"_ What i've seen on the tv, what have you done. _

Rhea knew that he switched to Irish to stop Bucky from understanding, "Níl a fhios agam cad is call agat." _I don't know what you mean. _

Jesse turned to look at her, his green eyes stared at her, "Do cumhachtaí, Artic Gorm? Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil a tú, tá mé le feiceáil ar an videos YouTube." _Your powers, Artic Blue? I know that its you, I've seen the youtube videos._

Rhea's jaw dropped sligthly, "Cuir Jesse, shíl mé go raibh tú mo chara." _Please Jesse, I thought you were my friend. _

Jesse tensed his jaw, "Rudaí a athrú Rhea. Agus cén fáth go raibh tú a thabhairt dó anseo?" _Things have changed Rhea. And why did you bring him here? _He gestured at Bucky.

Bucky felt the tension rising in the room, he had no idea what the two of them were saying once they switched to Irish. He looked at Rhea, she looked hurt and her tone was pleading, "Рея это все в порядке." _Rhea is everything ok?_

Rhea looked over at him, his face was full of concern, "Да Баки, просто пытаюсь понять." _Yes Bucky, just trying to understand. _

Jesse stared at the two of them, "Nuair a thosaigh tú ag labhairt na Rúise?" _When did you start speaking Russian?_

Rhea looked at both of the men in the room, "Enough! Anything you have against me you can say it in front of Bucky, in English."

Jesse stared at Bucky, "Fine. You shouldn't have come Rhea, I've moved on with my life. And what you've become, one of those glorified freaks? The Avengers?" He shook his head.

"I'm not a freak Jesse, I was born like this, the ice," She moved her hand and snow appeared, "This is the real me."

Jesse just glared at her, "You are not the Rhea I knew. She felt for the States and never came back." He turned his back to her.

Rhea felt her heart break, she could feel the tears starting in her eyes. Bucky looked over at her, he wanted to take Jesse and throw him out the window for the things that he was saying to her.

"I can't, I…. I have to go," She walked out of the kitchen and then out the door.

* * *

"Rhea!? Rhea?" Bucky called as he ran up the stairs to the apartment. He opened the door and listened, he heard breathing down near the bedrooms. He walked down the corridor and opened Rhea's bedroom door slowly, "Rhea?" He saw her on the bed, she was crying. Her shoulders slumped over and she was bent double. He walked over and sat down in front of her and reached out and touched her arm. She jumped, "Shhh, its ok." He soothed.

"Bucky," She sobbed, "Those things that he said."

Bucky shuffled forward and wrapped his arms around her and held her to his chest, "Тише, вы стоите настолько больше тогда ему."_ Hush, you are worth so much more then him. _He rocked her back and forth, "He isn't a true friend if he doesn't see your true beauty." He said and smiled down at her as she looked up at him. Her eyes were red from crying, but he chuckled slightly as he saw that her tears were freezing slightly on her cheeks. He brushed them off with his finger, and she leaned in his touch.

"Bucky," She said, her voice still shaking, "Can you stay here tonight? I just don't want to be alone."

Bucky nodded, "Sure, and for what its worth, he's the freak Rhea for not seeing that you are still the same person. There is nothing wrong with who you are." He lay down on the bed and she rested her head on his chest, pulling a blanket over her.

Her tears lessened as she listened to Bucky's heart beat, it was strong, steady, never seemed to waver. He's breathing was level and constant. She thought about Bucky, he was the one person that never let her down, he was always there to pick her up off the ground. She snaked her arm around his stomach and sighed, letting the tension leave her. He was right, she needed to realise that some people weren't worth having in your life.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: Ok, so the story continues. Thanks for all the on going support, let me know what you all think. **

* * *

Chapter fifteen: Home

* * *

Rhea stirred in her sleep, light came in through the window and had crawled up the bed and cast a shaft of light into her eye. She blinked and moved her head into a different position. Suddenly she became more aware and flicked her eyes upwards, Bucky's sleeping face was above her head, he looked peaceful, his mouth just open slightly. She felt her head rise up and down with his long sleeping breaths. Her arm was still over his stomach, she felt his muscles relax and contract, and his heart beated in her ear. She shivered slightly, feeling oddly cold, she moved her legs so they were next to his and she instantly felt warmer. Bucky took a deeper breath and she saw his eyes flicker open, "Morning," He said to her yawning.

"Hi," She answered quietly, the memory of yesterday in Jesse's house still echoing in her head.

Bucky lifted his hand and put it gently on her head and ran his fingers through her hair, "You feeling any better?"

Rhea sighed, "If better is hollow and hurt, then yeah I feel peachy."

Bucky kissed the top of her head, "I'm going to attempt to make breakfast if you want to get the gear sorted, the jet will be here in about an hour." He wiggled out of bed, stood up and stretched.

"You're making breakfast?" Rhea looked at him.

"What? Soldier's can cook too." He made a face and headed to the kitchen. Once he was out of the room, he glanced back. Their talk in the bed and waking up together, it felt so natural. Bucky tried to push his emotions back and opened the fridge to fish out some food.

A few minutes later Rhea came in towing some bags behind her, she left them by the front door and jumped up on a stool at the breakfast bar, "Smells good, nothing's burning, I'm impressed," She gave him a look.

Bucky rolled his eyes, "We gotta eat and go, the jets landing in 20 minutes." He grabbed a slice of toast and a piece of bacon and passing the same over to Rhea before they grabbed their bags and headed out the door.

The jet took off on the private runway out side of Dublin, it rose into the air leaving the city behind them. Rhea looked out of the window, this was probably the place that brought her into Ireland when she was just a baby and now she was leaving, leaving for good. She looked down at the patch work quilt of the country side as it passed underneath them, a thought hit her, _I never want to come back here again, _she realised.

"This is the last time I'm going to see this place," Rhea broke the silence.

Bucky moved in the seat next to her, "What do you mean?"

"There is nothing left for me now. Mary and Séamus are gone, and Jesse doesn't want to see me ever again." She sighed, "My life is in America now, with all of you. I thought that I would go back to Ireland once I finished college, but I never felt happier to be getting on this plane."

Bucky put his hand on her leg, "Yeah I get ya, I think there comes a time in our lives when we have to close the chapter and move on. You've got me and Steve anyway." He smiled.

She nodded, "Yeah I do."

Soon they were over the Arctic, Rhea looked down at the ice she could see floating below her. She wanted to see how cold it was, or would it even bother her. She yawned, the events of the day before were taking their toll on her, she shuffled in her seat, Bucky had his head phones on and he was watching 'Jaws' on the tv screen, she moved and leant into his shoulder. She sighed and closed her eyes, she felt him move slightly to look down at her, then he settled back to the movie. She heard the classic line, 'I think we need a bigger boat,' before she dozed into a dreamless sleep.

Rhea woke with a start as the jet landed with a thud, "Ow," She mumbled, as she hit her head off Bucky's metal shoulder, "That was comfortable until now."

Bucky woke up too, "Did you just wack your head?" Rhea nodded, "Ha ha," Bucky snorted.

"Shut up Barnes," She grumbled and looked out the window, it was dark on the runway, but she saw lights near the airport.

The plane taxied to the gate and Rhea stood up and stretched then grabbed her bags, _It's good to be home, even if we are in New York, _she smiled to herself.

"Ready?" Bucky asked her, she nodded and followed him off the plane.

"Well hello you two!" A bright familiar smile greeted them.

"Steve!" Rhea shouted with excitement and ran past Bucky throwing herself at her brother.

Steve grabbed Rhea and had to take a step back to balance himself with the impact. He twirled her around in a circle, "Good to see you too. I hear you kicked some serious ass!" He smiled at her.

"Ah just taking after my brother," She gave him a playful punch.

Bucky made it down the stairs to them, "Hey there pal." He smiled at his old friend.

"Good to see you Buck," Steve pulled him into a hug, "Well I'm here to take you guys to The Avenger's Tower." He gestured back to the car behind them.

Rhea hopped in the car and settled into a seat, "Oh Steve, what time is it? My body clock is all off."

Steve looked at his watch, "Just gone seven in the evening. And I think that Pepper is making some sorta vegetarian dinner for us."

Rhea looked over at Bucky, "Really? Great." She rolled her eyes, making Bucky snort with laughter.

"Rhea, manners," Steve looked at her in the rear view mirror, "Pepper is so excited to have you all back in the Tower."

"Ok, sorry, you're right," Rhea schooled her features back to normal again and avoided Bucky's eye.

* * *

"Welcome home!" Tony said as Bucky and Rhea walked into the penthouse. Rhea pulled on her hoodie and flicked out her wet hair before Tony wrapped her in a hug, "Good to see you kid." Rhea smiled into Tony's shoulder, it was good to be home.

Rhea looked around at all her friends, Steve had his arm around Natasha looking at her with total adoration as they talked to Bruce. Tony was trying to help Pepper in the kitchen but it wasn't going all too well and he earned a wack with a wooden spoon on the hand. Clint was talking to Maria, Rhea wondered if he plucked up the courage to ask her out. She sighed, it was so good to be back with the people she loved, they were like her family.

"Well the last one's here. Serve it up Pep," Tony grinned and gestured toward the door. Rhea turned around to see Bucky walk in, her breath hitched. He ran his hand through his ear lobe length hair that was still damp from his shower, he wore a loose white t-shirt and a pair of jeans, _Well he sure can wear a pair of jeans, _Rhea thought then was shocked at herself.

Bucky walked over to her, "Hey," He smiled gently and wrapped her in a hug so her head rested on his chest, "You feeling any better?"

She nodded, "Yeah, just good to be back." She heard Bucky make a noise of agreement that vibrated in his chest. She felt his shoulder move underneath her head, she heard the mechanics slide and move together, she smiled.

"Sorry," Bucky told her and pulled away.

Rhea shook her head, "It doesn't bother me." She turned and walked towards the dinner table.

Rhea tried to force down some tofu, but she almost gagged each time, she saw that others at the table were having the same problem. Once dinner was cleared, Rhea's stomach rumbled. Bucky looked at her with a raised eye brow, she gave him a sheepish grin.

Everyone was talking after dinner out on the balcony, Bucky pulled Rhea over, "Hey, I'm still starving," He said.

Rhea nodded, "Join the club."

"Well what to ya say about grabbing some pizza downtown? I know a place." Bucky grinned.

"Sounds like a plan," Rhea smiled back and made sure that no one was watching as they slipped out of the room.

Once on the street Rhea could take in all the sights and smells of the city. In her time in America she has never been to Manhattan, it was something else. People whistled for cabs, car horns sounded and tyres screeched, street vendors yelled at each other and steam grates let off hisses. It was the music of the city, Rhea was in love. She followed Bucky down the crowded streets, there was a light in his eyes, one that she hadn't seen before. She realised that he was home, New York was his city, this is where he grew up. It had changed since he was young but the streets were still the same, he followed them like he had never left.

Bucky looked back at Rhea, "You ok?" He saw her face, there was a lost look, even though she was tall it looked like she was going to be swallowed up into the crowds. He extended his hand to her and pulled her to him so she tucked under his shoulder, "I got you."

"Thanks," She laughed, "I thought that I was a goner there. Now where is this place?"

They walked for a few blocks and soon Central park was in sight. Rhea looked at the trees and saw the sun was setting through the trees, she leaned into Bucky and sighed, she already loved this city. "Here it is," Bucky said triumphantly.

Rhea looked up and saw a small pizza place, 'Mario's Pizza, est since 1909'. "Wow this place has been in business for a long time," Rhea marvelled.

Bucky gave her a look, "My Dad's friend started it up, I used to go here every week."

"Whoops, totally forgot your age there," She smiled and leaned into his shoulder.

Bucky opened the door for her and the smell of pizza hit her like a train, _damn this is amazing, _she inhaled deeply. Bucky went up to the counter, "Hey, can I get two slices of pepperoni?" He reached and got the slices from the guy behind the counter and fished out a couple of dollars from his pocket, "Thanks." He smiled at the employee, who was giving him a knowing look, in fact he looked a little spooked. "Here you go." Bucky passed one slice to Rhea.

"Thanks Buck," She smiled and took a bite, the cheese almost melting in her mouth.

"You wanna take a walk in the park?" Bucky asked, wiping his mouth. Rhea nodded and the crossed the road, dodging traffic.

Rhea looked up at the trees. Autumn was taking over and the leaves were starting to go red and orange, she took a bite of pizza and looked up at Bucky, those fluttery feelings returned again, she focused back on her pizza.

They walked in the cool night air the sound of the wind and some birds was all they could hear. Bucky looked down at Rhea, "I was going to ask were you cold, but then I realised who I was talking to." He gave a laugh.

Rhea nodded, "Yeah it's strange, some times I feel cold, but I think it's more like my nerves or something."

The lake appeared in front of them, Rhea smiled as she saw the moon dance off the water. She stopped on the bridge and looked over the lake. Bucky stood behind her, and put his arm around her so it was on the railing. Rhea closed her eyes at his touch, _why am I feeling like this, I really need to get a grip, Steve is gonna be so pissed. _

Bucky leant down, his lips grazing over her hair, _I really want to, but I just don't know. _

Rhea turned and looked up at him, his blue eyes catching the moon light. Well yo_u only live once. _She leaned up and pressed her lips against his. Bucky snaked his arms around her, as she ran her hands up his chest, behind his neck and into his hair. He pulled her closer and kissed her deeply, this time he took charge.

After a few minutes they broke apart and looked into each others eyes. Rhea gave him a sheepish smile, "Well that was, em, good," She said.

Bucky gave her a lopsided grin and kissed her lips again, "Yeah I think it was."

"So, what do we do?" Rhea asked.

"Well seeing as we don't know ourselves, how about we keep this to us for now? I can hear Tony's taunting already." Bucky rolled his eyes.

Rhea nodded, "Well its more Steve I'd be concerned about." Bucky balked, Rhea laughed and put a hand on his cheek and guided him in for another kiss.


End file.
